Unnatural Amnesia
by XtremeGal87
Summary: Naraku uses his final moments to make a wish on the Shikon Jewel. His wish? To erase Kagome's memory forever. But Inuyasha doesn't know this. What will he do when he discovers her amnesia? Will her memories ever return? InuKag
1. Prologue

**_A/N:_** Ok, so this is a **_bit_** different for me. Hopefully it'll be at least a little longer than any of my other stories…but I don't know. Anyway, yes this is an Inuyasha/Kagome. There will be minor Sess/Rin, and possibly Kouga/Ayame as well. Along with mention of Miroku/Sango. I haven't made up my mind on anything else yet. Please enjoy!! Oh, and of course, please do forgive minor errors…I'm certainly not perfect!

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Inuyasha. (Therefore, he does not eat dirt when I say "sit." LOL.)

**Unnatural Amnesia**

**Prologue:**

**Inuyasha was** awake nearly an hour before the sun had truly come up. He sat in the Goshinboku, holding his Tetsusaiga against his shoulder, staring out into the early morning sky. He watched as two birds flew by, circling around each other as they continued to their unknown destination.

After a few more moments of silence, his gaze shifted down to the ground beneath the sacred tree. Finally, he caught sight, just barely, of the scar on its trunk. Where he'd been sealed for 50 years. Images flooded his mind's eye.

The day he and Kikyo had first spoken. The day she'd suggested he become **_human_**, instead of demon. The day she'd sealed him to that tree. The day Urasue had resurrected her, in a body made of old bones and graveyard soil. The night she'd stolen the Shikon Jewel shard from Kagome. The night he'd believed that Naraku had slain her…again. The day he'd discovered that she was still alive.

But then the images shifted, though he wasn't surprised by the shift. Suddenly he could clearly picture the night he'd first met Kagome, and mistaken her for Kikyo. He remembered perfectly the first New Moon he'd spent (albeit unwillingly) beside her. The night he'd almost lost her to the Thunder Brothers. The evening she'd comforted him after a particularly bad transformation into his full-demon form. The time she'd died, and he'd thought his world had ended. The moment when she'd woken up from that. The time she'd been possessed by Hyoga and nearly killed him. The time, in Kaguya's castle, when she'd declared her love for him. As a half-demon, no less.

He shook his head and forced his eyes away from that spot, looking once again out towards the quickly lightening sky. _It ain't worth dwellin' on. She didn't mean it like that. She couldn't have. _Any further thoughts were cast aside as the wind shifted. A low growl tore from within him as he leapt from the tree. _Damnit! What the hell is that bastard doing here, of all places!_

* * *

**He ran** as fast as he was capable as the sun slowly crept into the morning sky. Naraku was approaching, and he'd be damned if he was going to allow the vile demon to attack his friends in their sleep. It barely registered in his mind when Sesshoumaru's scent, too, reached his nose. He knew his older brother was there to kill Naraku; he would provide a good enough distraction, allowing Inuyasha to wake the others.

Inuyasha reached the village in record time. He didn't hesitate as he ran through the bamboo flap that served as Kaede's door. They were all sleeping soundly. Without a thought, he went straight to Kagome's side. For once, Shippo was sleeping beside Kirara, and not Kagome.

"Kagome, get up! We ain't got time for sleepin' in, wench!" He shook her shoulders just enough to disturb her sleep, then raised his voice and looked up towards the sleeping monk and demon slayer. "Miroku, Sango, get up!"

* * *

**Kagome stretched **as she woke. She could hear Inuyasha yelling. Yet she couldn't see the sun yet. Sitting up, she asked, "What's wrong Inuyasha? Why are you yelling already?"

Miroku was already on his feet, a serious look on his face. Sango was reaching for her discarded slayer's uniform. Inuyasha returned his gaze to Kagome and forced himself to speak softer. "Naraku's coming. I can smell him. Sesshoumaru's heading to intercept him, but we've gotta hurry."

"Naraku?!" She gasped, surprised that he'd come to the village. She didn't wait for him to nod in affirmation, she simply tossed aside her sleeping bag and reached for her quiver and bow.

* * *

**It didn't **take them long to get ready for what would be, undoubtedly, the hardest battle of their lives. Inuyasha and Miroku had been relegated to waiting outside while the girls got dressed. When they came out, Inuyasha wordlessly knelt down and waited for Kagome to climb onto his back. She complied in equal silence, grasping his shoulders lightly as he stood, his clawed hands wrapped tightly around her thighs. Beside them, Kirara transformed and Sango and Miroku jumped on her back. Shippo was riding with Miroku.

When everyone was ready, they sped off, Inuyasha leading the way towards their common enemy. Each of them was lost in their own thoughts, wondering if they'd survive this day.

* * *

**Sesshoumaru was **awakened by the scent of the one he'd been hunting for over a year. He knew his foe well enough to know that if he waited, he may not get another chance to slay him. He rose to his feet fluidly, not at all surprised when Jaken snapped awake at his movement. "Milord?" Jaken asked as he, too, rose to his feet.

Without looking down to the toad demon, Sesshoumaru replied, "Wait here." And then he began walking swiftly away. A moment later, he was engulfed in a blue-white light and he vanished instantly.

The commotion Jaken made upon his lord's disappearance was enough to wake the young human girl who traveled with them. Sitting up groggily, she rubbed her eyes and asked, "Master Jaken, what is it?"

"Nothing. Nothing is bothering me whatsoever. Why would it?"

Looking around, Rin realized what it was. "Where has Lord Sesshoumaru gone this time, Master Jaken?"

Jaken deflated and collapsed against Ah-Un with a sigh. "I don't know, Rin. But we're to wait here until he returns."

"Ok." Rin said, stretching.

* * *

**Sesshoumaru intercepted** Naraku just beyond the village that he knew his little brother inhabited. Naraku saw him coming with just enough warning to throw up his barrier in time to deflect Tokijin's blade. He cackled as he levitated himself backwards a bit.

"Lord Sesshoumaru, what an honor. I never imagined I'd run into you at Inuyasha's village, of all places."

Sesshoumaru said nothing as he glared at the vile demon before him.

"Nothing to say, I see. How…**_unoriginal_** of you." Naraku taunted. Then he waved his hand and a swarm of lesser demons appeared, seemingly out of nowhere, and attacked the powerful dog demon.

Sesshoumaru's gaze fixed on the horde of demons. "Pathetic." He growled as he raised his sword. It flashed a bright blue as he swung it out, and when the light faded, the demons were gone.

Naraku's laugh drew his attention once more. "Well now, what **_does_** it take to impress you, then, Lord Sesshoumaru? Perhaps a bit more of a challenge, I presume." Then he paused, and an evil glint shined in his eyes, and he added, "Kagura. Destroy him."

The aforementioned wind sorceress appeared behind and above the evil, arrogant demon. Her eyes flashed as she looked towards Sesshoumaru, whom she'd always believed was the only one who could destroy Naraku. Now she was supposed to fight him; the one she'd always hoped would free her.

Her hesitation did not go unnoticed by her master. "Kagura!" He snarled. A sharp, unbearable pain stabbed her chest. "Do as I command, or die." Their eyes met, and she knew what she had to do.

"Your wish is my command," she spat. Then she turned her attention towards Sesshoumaru, even as the pain in her chest faded. "You heard the man." She said calmly, snapping open her fan. "_Dance_ of the **_Dragon_**!"

* * *

**Inuyasha and **the others arrived in time to see Sesshoumaru take to the sky as he easily avoided the group of tornadoes that were headed towards him. Inuyasha landed a bit away from the fight and let Kagome off, before running towards Naraku.

Naraku's attention shifted automatically to Inuyasha and his friends when they arrived. He sneered arrogantly as the half-breed, monk, and demon slayer charged him. "Welcome, Inuyasha. To your final battle!" Then he sent the three tentacles at his back towards them.

"Kirara!" Sango shouted as the hell-cat swerved up and to the side to avoid the tentacles.

"Inuyasha! Be careful, these tentacles are most likely filled with miasma!" Miroku hollered in warning.

Inuyasha scoffed as he unsheathed his sword. "I know that, damnit!"

"But what will you do about it, Inuyasha?" Naraku asked tauntingly, a leer on his face.

Inuyasha's face broke into a cocky grin. "This." Then his sword shifted, suddenly made of adamant, and he added, "**_Adamant Barrage!_**"

Naraku's arrogant leer vanished as he remembered what that trick could do to his barrier. With a thought, he instructed it to move him to the side. But he was met by a bright, powerful flash of blue. Tokijin. It forced him to remain more or less where he was just long enough for the flying pieces of adamant to pierce his barrier.

* * *

**Naraku landed** on the ground beneath where he'd been floating, smirking once more. "Very clever. You've successfully destroyed my barrier. But is it enough?"

"Cut the crap, Naraku! You're dead!" Inuyasha shouted angrily, raising his sword over his head.

"Am I?"

"**_Wind Scar!_**" Inuyasha hollered as he slammed his mighty Tetsusaiga onto the ground, sending a powerful blast of energy straight for Naraku. A moment before the attack hit, Kanna stepped forward and raised her mirror, intending to deflect the Wind Scar back at him, like she had done so long ago.

"Inuyasha! Kirara, hurry!" Sango ordered as the obedient hell-cat turned and flew quickly towards their friend. Sango reached out as they passed by and snagged Inuyasha out of the way moments before the reflected Wind Scar hit the spot where he'd been standing. Naraku's laugh echoed over the noise as he stood behind the small demonic girl.

Kagura landed beside Kanna, her fan held open in front of her. As much as she desired Naraku's death, she knew that if she disobeyed him, she'd never see that freedom which she so longed for. Her only hope was to avoid being killed until Naraku was finally slain.

"Attack now." Kanna said softly as she lowered her mirror slightly. Knowing she was speaking Naraku's thoughts, Kagura stepped forward.

"Fine. **_Dance of the Dragon!_**"

"You wanna play it that way, witch? **_Backlash Wave!_**" Inuyasha hollered, swinging his sword once more towards them.

Sesshoumaru landed beside his younger half-brother and raised his own sword. "Dragon Strike." He added calmly. He knew that his best chance to defeat them was if he worked with Inuyasha, no matter how much the idea frustrated him. Inuyasha slid a sideways glance towards his brother for a moment, then shifted his attention back to their opponents. _The enemy of my enemy…_he thought fleetingly, a slight grin forming in appreciation for the irony of it all.

* * *

**As Kanna** raised her mirror once more, intending to deflect the powerful attack, the unmistakable pink aura of Kagome's Sacred Arrow pierced through the combined attack and imbedded itself into her mirror. Kanna lowered it, acknowledging that it had been rendered useless. She heard Naraku utter something before he quickly shot himself into the air, away from the deadly attack. Kagura, too, escaped. Kanna did not.

Naraku's glare latched onto Kagome mercilessly. "Wench! I'll destroy you myself, if it's the last thing I do!" And then one of the tentacles at his back arched upward and over his shoulder, aiming straight for her.

"**_Kagome!_**" Inuyasha hollered, spinning around and racing towards her as fast as he could. He breathed a small sigh of relief when she jumped to the side at the last second, forcing the tentacle to crash into the ground. Unfortunately, the impact cracked it, and a small, steady stream of miasma began seeping out. "Damnit!" He cursed as he closed the distance between himself and the coughing priestess.

Kagome had a hand over her nose and mouth in an effort to protect herself from the miasma, but it wasn't doing much good. Her eyes were watering and her throat was slowly starting to constrict. That's when Inuyasha landed in front of her and scooped her up, into his arms. Without pause, he leapt up again, removing her from the poison.

They landed just behind Kirara, and he set her down gently. "You alright, Kagome?"

She nodded. "I'm fine. Let's finish this."

"How very touching, Inuyasha, that you'd risk your life for that reincarnation. Tell me, would you die for her, as well?"

"I don't have to, bastard! You're the only one who's gonna die!"

* * *

**The fight** was raging on, even hours later. Both sides were tiring, but neither was surrendering. Hakudoushi had shown up shortly after Kanna's destruction with Kohaku in tow. Everyone had been surprised when Kohaku had slaughtered two of Naraku's slave demons and joined his sister and her friends in battle.

Hakudoushi and Kagura were battling Sesshoumaru while Inuyasha and the others focused on Naraku. Naraku dodged one of Inuyasha's many blows and reached out, towards Kohaku. They watched in slow motion as one of Naraku's tentacles pierced Kohaku's back and pulled out with the jewel shard that had been inside of him for so long.

What had surprised everyone was when Kohaku didn't die. He fell to his knees and took a few deep, recovering breaths. But then he stood up again. That was when it dawned on them what had happened. He'd been in possession of the jewel shard for three years, and though the wounds he'd suffered from before had, indeed, been fatal…the jewel had healed them over time.

Sango gave her younger brother a quick, loving hug and then they both returned to the fight. Naraku roared in anger and launched another attack. Sango saw it coming. "**_Hiraikotsu!_**" She shouted, sending the big boomerang flying towards the offending appendage. Because she and Kohaku were both wearing their masks, the miasma that leaked out did not affect them.

* * *

**Kagura spun** away and leapt onto her feather as Sesshoumaru's Dragon Strike tore through Hakudoushi. The young, heartless demon's eyes widened in surprise as he watched his own body disintegrate. No one doubted that this time, he would not be regenerating. Kagura looked down at Sesshoumaru, who was staring calmly back up at her. She looked over towards Naraku in time to see him watching her intently. From his look, her options were clear. Knowing she would die one way or another, she did something she'd always wanted to do.

Raising her fan towards her 'master,' she uttered, "Dance of the Dragon," and watched with mixed feelings as the tornadoes spun towards him. She was caught off-guard when Sesshoumaru flew past her, sword out, towards Naraku.

"Dragon Strike." He called evenly as he swung his sword at the villain. Then he averted his course, landing a short distance away from his target as his younger brother took advantage of the situation as well.

Inuyasha lunged forward, Tetsusaiga out and encased in adamant once again. Even as the words "**_Adamant Barrage!_**" fell from his lips, a Sacred Arrow joined the fray and flamed pink as it closed in on its target.

Naraku could see that his options were minimal. But he knew he wasn't dead yet. Even as he dodged as many of the attacks as possible, he grabbed hold of Kagura's heart. Her scream of pain tore through the battle field and all eyes watched with mixed emotions as she fell.

Naraku was forced to land as his body attempted to re-grow what had just been removed. "Do you…honestly believe that **_that_** was enough…to slay me?"

"Sure looks like it came close. One more shot oughta do it." Inuyasha stated.

Naraku's laugh echoed again as he returned to his feet. He was by no means healed, but he wasn't dead yet, either. Suddenly, a final swarm of demons descended upon them, forcing them to back away and separate. Most of them, anyway. Kagome managed to duck out of their sight, and she didn't reveal herself until she was sure that Naraku didn't know she was there.

Kagome stepped forward, facing Naraku with an arrow notched on her bow, aimed at his heart. His eyes widened in surprise for a moment. Then he smirked.

"Naraku! You won't survive this battle, and I intend to make sure of that!"

"That's really rather funny, Kagome. You see, I intend to destroy **_you_**."

"Not likely. This ends now."

"No, it does not." He snarled, sending a tentacle towards her heart.

* * *

**Inuyasha's ears** flicked as he heard Kagome shouting at Naraku. Lopping the head off of the demon nearest him, he spun around in time to see Naraku attacking her. She wouldn't be able to dodge it no matter what she did. "Damnit! **_Kagome get down!_**" With barely a pause, he lifted Tetsusaiga and added, "**_Wind Scar!_**"

Sesshoumaru noticed his brother's intention and realized that the best opportunity to destroy Naraku was at hand. "Dragon Strike." He stated calmly as blue energy shot out of Tokijin.

Naraku heard Inuyasha's shout of warning and saw Kagome switch targets, aiming for the tentacles with her arrow as she jumped aside. Then he heard the dog-demons attack him, and he knew this was it. He'd lost. But he didn't have to sit back and wait. As the attacks neared him, he locked eyes with Kagome and she saw the shine of the impure Shikon Jewel in his grasp.

"If I must die, I'll take you with me." Raising the jewel higher, he said, "Sacred Shikon Jewel, I wish for you to remove Kagome from this era. To remove all memory of these past three years from her mind forever, along with those who may influence her in the modern era. I ask you to seal the Bone Eaters Well. Forever."

Kagome's eyes widened in horror as the jewel floated out of his grasp. Though it was incomplete, apparently it still had the power to grant a wish. Looking at Naraku, she felt the tears begin to slide down her face as she asked, "Why?"

His triumphant smirk terrified her. "To make Inuyasha suffer for eternity." Was all he said as the two demonic attacks finally reached him, engulfing him and tearing him apart.

* * *

**The light** from the attacks was blinding, and all save Sesshoumaru had to shield their eyes. But when it had faded, Naraku was gone. Everyone was silent until Miroku spoke. He was staring at his right hand. "It-It's gone. The Wind Tunnel is gone!"

"Miroku, that's great!" Sango cheered, throwing her arms around him. Behind her, Kohaku smiled at them, glad he could share in their happiness. But the happiness died soon enough.

Inuyasha looked away from Miroku and Sango's celebration towards where he expected Kagome to be. And didn't see her. His eyes widened, then he shoved Tetsusaiga back into its sheath and he started forward quickly. "Kagome?" When he didn't get a response, he tried again. Louder. "Kagome!"

His shouting drew the other's attention and Sango released Miroku, worry crossing her features. Kohaku, Kirara, and Shippo ran forward, intent on helping Inuyasha search for her. Sesshoumaru's voice was too soft for anyone besides Sango and Miroku to hear. "The priestess is gone."

"Gone? What do you mean?" Sango asked, her voice shaking.

"She is not here. Inuyasha will not find her."

"What? But…that's impossible!"

Inuyasha hadn't heard his brother. He was too focused. And when he found her bow and quiver still half-full of arrows, his heart fell. Somehow, instinctively, he knew something had happened. And he knew it hadn't been good. Without saying a word, he spun around and leapt into the trees. Everyone watched as he headed towards the village and the well beyond it.

"Kirara!" Sango called as the hell-cat transformed again and allowed the two demon slayers and monk to jump on. Shippo landed on Miroku's shoulder. Sesshoumaru followed, as he had to go in that direction anyway.

* * *

**When they **got to the Bone Eaters Well, they were just in time to hear an unnatural howl emitting from within. Shippo shuddered and asked Miroku, "What was that? Was it…Inuyasha?"

Miroku's eyes were serious as he replied. "Yes, Shippo. It seems…that Kagome has been taken from us."

"So the well really has sealed, then?" Sango asked, her voice still shaking.

"I fear that is so." Miroku replied solemnly. Kirara landed and bowed her head. Shippo burst into tears, and Sango leaned back, into Miroku, allowing herself to cry in the comfort of his arms. Miroku, too, had tears streaming silently down his face.

Sesshoumaru looked down the well, not surprised to see Inuyasha kneeling on the ground within it, his claws embedded in the ground and his body shaking every-so-slightly. Without a word, he turned and left the group to grieve in private.

_**To Be Continued…**_

**_A/N:_** So, is that mean??? Anyway, let me know what you thought! And don't forget to read chapter one!!


	2. Chapter 1

**_A/N:_** Alrighty!! Here's chapter one!!! I hope it doesn't disappoint! And, of course, please forgive any/all OOCness. It's bound to happen. Enjoy!

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Inuyasha. I do own all of Sess/Rin's children, along with any possible appearances of Kouga/Ayame's. And any other characters you don't recognize.

**Unnatural Amnesia**

**Chapter One:**

**The shrill** ringing of the alarm clock startled Kagome out of a pleasant dream. She sat upright in bed, breathing raggedly. After a moment, she shook herself out of her dream-induced stupor and reached to the nightstand beside her bed, switching the obnoxious pink clock off once again.

With a slightly dramatic sigh, she swung her legs over the side of the bed and tossed aside her covers. As she stretched, she let her mind wander. _Why did my alarm startle me so much this morning? I've only had the thing for years, you'd think I would be used to it by now. I must've been sleeping pretty deeply, I guess. Not that that's a bad thing._ Then a thought dawned on her. _Oh no! I have an algebra test today!_ Quickly, she jumped off of her bed and yanked on her school uniform.

Ten minutes later, she was slipping on her shoes by the door. She saw her mother walk up from her peripheral vision and turned around to smile at her. "Morning, Mom!"

"Good morning, dear. How are you feeling?"

Kagome paused as she reached for her school bag and looked up at her mom once again. "I feel fine, honest. Has Souta left already?"

"Yes, he left just a few minutes ago. Would you like a piece of toast to take with you, Kagome? Oh, and here's your lunch." Mrs. Higurashi then held out a wrapped package which always contained Kagome's lunch, and then she held out two pieces of perfectly golden and buttered toast as well.

"Thanks, Mom. I really have to go; I've got an algebra test today, and if I get there early enough, I'll have time to study a bit first. Bye!" Then she slid the door open and ran out, taking a large bite out of her toast as she ran.

* * *

**Inuyasha was **resting in the Goshiboku on Kagome's family's property when Kagome herself came running out the door, heading towards the large staircase with her school bag on her back. His eyes snapped open in surprise. It was still early; he wasn't expecting to see her until just before sunset, and definitely not like this.

_What the hell? I know for a fact that today's the day the well seals, but…she should be fightin' Naraku right now, not goin' to school! What's going on? Could I have gotten the date wrong?_

When he was sure no one was looking, he leapt gracefully from the branches of the ancient Sacred Tree and headed quickly for the well house. He confidently slid open the doors and stepped inside, shutting them behind him silently. Then he paused to allow his vision to adapt to the darkness of the small building. And then he simply stared in muted shock at what he saw before him. The Bone Eaters Well was covered up, as it had been the very first time he'd gone through it. Sutras covering all the seams.

He slowly descended the steps that led to the edge of the well and carefully laid his palms against the wood. He closed his eyes and inhaled deeply. What he got as a result thoroughly confused him. The scents in the room argued with each other; it was as though Kagome hadn't been in the well house in months, if not longer. Yet he could still clearly smell her, and himself, underneath the lack of human scents. He stepped back from the well as if he'd been struck, his eyes wide and disbelieving. _What the hell-? This doesn't make sense!_

Instinctively, he knew that something was horribly wrong. He had no idea what, but in the back of his mind, he strongly suspected Naraku's involvement. His mind replayed –not for the fist time that day- the day, 500 years before, when Naraku had somehow taken her away from him. _Damnit!_ He mentally cursed as he spun around and jumped up the stairs, slid the door open, stepped through and slid it shut again. Without pause, he leapt up into the trees and away from the Higurashi Shrine.

* * *

**Kagome arrived** at school nearly half an hour before class was scheduled to begin. She breathed a silent, guilt-ridden, sigh of relief to know that her friends weren't there yet. _I'd never get any studying done if they were here. It's not like it's anything personal._ She smiled politely at the students and teachers she passed on her way to the library.

She found a table near the back that didn't have anyone else at it yet, and sat down. Dropping her backpack on the seat beside her, she opened it up and dug through it until she came across her math book. Reluctantly, she tugged it out and then found some scratch paper and a pencil. Then she flipped open the book until she came to the chapter that they were in and began going over the problems that she still didn't fully understand. _Of course, it doesn't help that I've been sick –again- for the past few weeks. It's amazing that I've made it this far through high school._

* * *

**She'd been** studying for just over twenty minutes when she heard the familiar voices of her three closest friends, Ayumi, Yuka, and Eri. "Kagome!" They chorused when they saw her. The librarian gave them a harsh look and they apologized as they whisked past her, heading towards their friend.

She smiled at them and put her pencil down. _Well, twenty minutes is better than none._ "Hey," she said in greeting. They all sat down opposite her, leaning over the table to be heard better.

"Kagome, we weren't sure we'd see you today. Are you feeling better, then?" Ayumi asked kindly.

"Yeah, I feel great. Better than I've felt in a while, actually."

"Really? That's awesome! Are you ready for the math test today?" Yuka asked, noting the open math book.

"Sorta. I made sure to get here early to get a bit more studying done."

"Hey, have you seen Hojo yet?" Eri asked, completely switching topics…again.

Kagome shook her head. "Nope. But I've been in here for the last twenty minutes or so, so I haven't really seen anyone."

"Hey, Kagome, you know what I think?" Yuka asked suddenly. Kagome hesitated in answering her, wary of the mischievous look in her friend's eye. Yuka took her silence as an indication to continue and added, "I think you should go up to Hojo and ask him on a date! It'd show him that you're really actually serious, you know?"

"Um…serious? Yuka…I'm kind of not interested on going out on a date with anyone right now…why would I do that?"

"Because he's totally into you, of course!" Eri added enthusiastically. Kagome paled. And then the bell rang. The girls all jumped up and waited for Kagome to put her books away before heading to class.

* * *

**Inuyasha's mind** was reeling as he sped through traffic and took the off-ramp that led to his brother's estate. Half of which was technically his, anyway. He knew that no one was expecting to see him today, as he'd been planning to wait in the Sacred Tree until Kagome was returned to her time permanently. But, of course, nothing ever went according to plan.

A few turns later and he pulled into the circular driveway, took the turnout that led to the garage, and parked his bike in his spot. Then he flipped off and stormed into the mansion through the door that connected to the garage. He ignored the odd looks that some of the maids gave him as he passed.

He walked up to his brother's office door and pushed it open without knocking, as he usually did. Sesshoumaru looked up from his conversation with the business man sitting opposite him. The other man looked up as well, and jumped up, extending his hand. "Mr. Taisho, it's a pleasure to make your acquaintance, sir!"

Inuyasha gave the man an angry look and shoved past him, completely ignoring his outstretched hand. He walked up to the side of his brother's cherry wood desk and growled, "We need to talk."

Sesshoumaru nodded and then rose to his feet as well. Shifting his gaze to the business man who was still standing with his mouth hanging open, he said calmly, "I apologize for the inconvenience, but it seems something has come up that I must deal with immediately. I shall have someone call to set up another appointment to fit both our schedules."

The man nodded mutely, and picked up his black suitcase. "I understand. Have a good day, then." And he let himself out without another word.

When he'd left, Inuyasha walked around again and flopped into one of the two chairs that faced Sesshoumaru's desk. The full-dog-demon leaned back in his leather chair and leveled his gaze on Inuyasha's faux dark eyes. "I wasn't expecting to see you this morning, little brother. Are you not supposed to be waiting for Kagome to emerge from the well this evening?"

Inuyasha gave a half-growl, half-sigh and raked his fingers through his hair. Then he met his brother's gaze once more and spoke. "Yeah. But something's…come up. This morning, I was resting in the Goshinboku and I saw her head outta the house, towards school."

Sesshoumaru raised an eyebrow curiously. "To school?"

"Yeah. An' when I went in to the well house, the well was closed. Wooden planks over the opening, covered in sutras. Just like when I came through the first time. But the scent's what really throws me for a loop."

"How so?"

"It's like no one's been in it for months, maybe even years. But the strangest part is, I can still smell mine and Kagome's scents in there, like it should be."

"And do you have any ideas as to what could have caused this?"

"I'm thinkin' Naraku. But I don't know what he could've done. All I remember is that when he was killed, she vanished. Added to what happened today…it's gotta be connected somehow." His voice was nearly a growl when he finished, and he was clenching the arms of the chair tightly. The fabric was tearing.

Sesshoumaru was silent for a while after his brother's story. It made sense, that Naraku would be involved in whatever it was that was wrong. But he couldn't, for the life of him, figure out **_how_** Naraku had managed to pull off this last scheme. Let alone how they could fix it.

Across from him, Inuyasha shifted restlessly in the chair. He was obviously, and understandably, infuriated and unsure of how to solve his dilemma. Finally, he stood. Sesshoumaru cocked an eyebrow curiously.

"I'm going back. I'm gonna watch her, and the family, and see what I can figure out. I've got a bad feeling about this, but I want to be sure."

Sesshoumaru nodded. "I understand. Good luck, Inuyasha."

"Keh."

* * *

**The test** wasn't as horrible as she'd thought it would be. When it was over, she'd even determined that she might have done well enough for an above-average grade, despite her lack of studying.

When class let out, the girls huddled in the hall, talking about the test, and boys, and the upcoming weekend. Then Hojo walked up. "Hey, Kagome, how are you?" Yuka, Eri, and Ayumi all quickly stepped back, so that they weren't between him and Kagome.

Kagome felt herself blush, despite herself. "Um, I'm fine, thanks. You?"

He laughed and scratched the back of his head. "Oh, I'm great. Hey, do you think you'd be up to a picnic this Saturday?"

She paled. "A…picnic? Uh, well-"

"She'd love to! In fact, she was just going to ask you out for this weekend, anyway!" Yuka declared, stepping in before her friend could back out.

"It's true." Ayumi added serenely.

Hojo smiled brightly. "Great! Then I'll pick you up Saturday at noon, ok? See you later, Kagome!" And then he turned and walked off, just like that.

Kagome turned to her matchmaking friends and placed her fists on her hips. "Why did you do that? I told you this morning that I'm not interested in having a boyfriend right now!"

"Oh, come on, Kagome, a boyfriend would do you some good!" Yuka stated decisively.

"Yeah, besides, as far as first boyfriends go, Hojo's not too bad. You could definitely do worse." Eri added, nodding her head in agreement with herself.

"Give it a try, Kagome. What's the worst that could happen?" Ayumi asked with a smile.

Kagome sighed. "Fine, alright? You guys win. I'll go out with him to this picnic on Saturday, ok?"

"Yes!" Yuka and Eri cheered, high-fiving each other. _What have I gotten myself into?_ Kagome thought as she watched her friends celebrate their 'victory.'

* * *

**The rest** of the school day passed uneventfully, and before she knew it, Kagome was home, her mind racing with possibilities of what could happen on Saturday. As she finished ascending the stairs, she paused and looked around. She saw Buyo resting at the base of the Sacred Tree and decided to say hi to the cat.

She walked leisurely towards the cat, putting her backpack down and then stepping over the knee-high fence that surrounded the tree. She knelt down and scratched the lazy cat behind his ears gently. "Hey, Buyo. You look like you've had a tough day, haven't you?" Buyo said nothing, just leaned into her hand greedily. Kagome laughed softly. "Oh yeah, real tough. Bet you didn't have an algebra test, did you?"

Behind her, Souta came around the side of the house, kicking his favorite soccer ball. "Hey sis, how was school?"

Kagome looked over her shoulder towards her brother and smiled. "Hey, Souta. It was ok; I think I did well on my test this time, too."

"That's cool. Oh, Mom and Gramps went to the grocery store; they'll probably be back in an hour or so."

"Ok, thanks." Even as she spoke, he returned to kicking his ball around the yard. Buyo got bored and began strolling back towards the house as though he didn't have a care in the world.

Kagome sighed and looked up at the tree. Standing, she reached out and lightly touched the old, familiar scar that faced the house. It had been there, like the tree itself, since long before her family had owned the property. After a moment, she turned around and leaned against the strong trunk, arms crossed behind her, and watched her brother practice kicking the soccer ball. A gentle breeze picked up and she let her eyes drift shut to enjoy the moment. That was when she remembered that she had history homework.

Quickly, she leapt over the small fence and snatched up her backpack. Then she walked into the house, sliding the door shut behind her.

* * *

**Kagome never **saw Inuyasha, who had been perched in a high branch of the very tree she'd been standing under. He'd watched her intently the entire time she'd been standing there. And the longer he watched, the more his heart dropped. He'd been briefly hopeful when she'd traced the old scar, but it became quickly apparent that it no longer held the emotional importance that it should have.

He watched her enter the house, probably to do homework, and then shifted his attention to Souta. His focus soon shifted again, and his gaze tilted upwards, away from the shrine. He was genuinely puzzled, and had no idea how to go about fixing whatever was wrong.

* * *

**Just under** an hour later, Mrs. Higurashi and Kagome's grandfather returned from the grocery store. They unloaded the car and then Inuyasha heard the old man hollering for Kagome to come downstairs.

"What is it, Gramps?" Kagome asked as she came down from her room.

"I figure since Souta's helping your mother unpack the groceries, you can help me unload the latest shipment of Shikon no Tama key chains for the store."

"Ok." She agreed. As they walked towards the store, she said, "Shikon no Tama key chains? Those are the pink and purple little jewels, right? Isn't there some sort of legend that goes with them?"

"Yes. The legend of the Shikon no Tama goes back five hundred and fifty years ago, in Feudal Japan. Back then, demons and humans shared the world together, but they didn't get along. It was a very dangerous era, to be certain. Actually, this story ties in with that of the Sacred Tree, as well." Grandpa Higurashi began theatrically as he took out the unopened box of key chains.

"Really?" Kagome asked as she knelt opposite her grandfather. He continued his story as he opened the box.

"Oh, yes. You see, the Shikon no Tama was a powerful jewel, which was created by a powerful priestess and was rumored to have the ability to grant one wish. Any wish. It could be something as small as needing a new kimono, or as large as eliminating humans from existence, for example."

"Wow."

Grandpa Higurashi nodded. "Oh, it was very powerful. And, as you can imagine, very sought after by both demons and humans. So, 550 years ago, the jewel fell into the possession of a powerful priestess who was charged with protecting the jewel from evil. In essence, keeping it pure. Anyway, she did well protecting it for quite a while, but according to the legend, she met and fell in love with a half-demon."

"Half-demon?"

He nodded. "Yes, though no one knows his name, or that of the priestess. The half-demon, according to legend, agreed to use the jewel to become human, and therefore rid the priestess of her responsibility as guardian. But something went tragically wrong and the priestess was fatally wounded by a demon that she believed to be the half-demon. However, before the wound ended her life, she sealed that half-demon to our Sacred Tree for fifty years. No one knows how he was removed, for the spell should have left him there for eternity. But, as you can plainly see, he is no longer bound to the tree."

Kagome nodded as she set up another set of key chains for display. "I wonder what happened to the half-demon, then? And are you sure it wasn't him that attacked the priestess?"

"Well, I can't be positive, of course, but legend says that it was another demon, who had an obsession with her, and the jewel, that actually ended her life."

"That's horrible." They lapsed into silence after this, until they were finished. Kagome grabbed the box and offered to take it out to the garbage to give her grandfather a rest.

When she was done, she paused by the tree once more and rested her palm against the scar on the tree. "I wonder if it's true…" she muttered to herself, completely unaware of being watched. After a moment, she turned and headed inside.

* * *

**Inuyasha couldn't** bring himself to accept what he'd heard. The conversation between Kagome and her grandfather was proof-positive of what he'd come to fear the most. _She's forgotten. She's completely forgotten me and everyone else. But…how? Damnit all to **HELL**! What did that bastard do to her?!_ He couldn't stop the low growl that emanated from his chest, but no one was around to hear it, so it didn't truly matter. He'd just lost her all over again. Possibly for good this time, and that idea terrified him more than anything.

* * *

**He stayed** until the last light in the house had been extinguished. Then he silently leapt onto the small outcropping of roof beneath her window and looked in. Though the room on the other side of the glass was dark, with his vision, he could see inside perfectly. His gaze fell on her sleeping form, and it occurred to him that she may not ever remember him. That there may not be a way to reverse whatever Naraku did to her.

He felt his throat constrict despite himself, and fought to swallow the urge to release the tears that so desperately wanted to fall. Finally he forced himself to leave, knowing that he'd do something rash and stupid, like break in and wake her up, if he stayed any longer. With a final glance at the woman he'd loved for over 500 years, he jumped off of the roof and headed towards his discarded motorcycle.

He had no idea what he was going to do, but he knew he wouldn't be able to sit back and watch her live a life where she didn't remember him. Even if she rejected him, at least she'd **_know_** him. He growled as he started his bike. Apparently, his life wasn't through screwing with him just yet.

_**To Be Continued…**_

**_A/N:_** So, what'd you think? Does it sound good so far? I certainly hope so. Please let me know either way!


	3. Chapter 2

_**A/N:**_ Here's chapter two!!!!!! Ahem…yeah. So, I do hope this meets all expectations…and please forgive any mistakes, of course. Oh, and because I know I'll forget to say this, Sesshoumaru has _**both**_ arms. My theory is simple: he's full demon, so he should be able to re-grow most body parts, like arms. And 500 years is long enough for his arm to re-grow, don't you think? Lol. Enjoy!

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Inuyasha. I do own any and probably all characters that you don't recognize from the series.

**Unnatural Amnesia**

**Chapter Two:**

**Inuyasha was** still growling in frustration when he slammed into his house, throwing the lock on his door and tossing his keys and watch onto the kitchen counter as he passed it. The moment the watch came off, the illusion of his human features faded, leaving behind the long, silver-haired, dog-eared half-demon he truly was. He growled again and bypassed the living room on his way up the stairs. He wasn't hungry, and he wasn't in the mood for television.

When he got to his room, he yanked the Tetsusaiga from its spot at his side and placed it roughly on its holding case above the nightstand beside the door. Five minutes later he was standing under a scalding shower, hoping the burning sensation would release some of his stress. Of course, it didn't. Soon enough, he exited the shower and pulled on a pair of boxers before he flopped onto the bed and laid awake for hours.

* * *

**Early the **next morning, Inuyasha let himself into the mansion where his brother resided. He once again ignored the maid who was cleaning up in the kitchen; he'd obviously just missed breakfast. Not that his appetite had returned.

Knowing it was too early to find Sesshoumaru in his office, he headed up the stairs and down the hall, towards his brother's room. He passed Jaken in the hall and allowed himself a bit of therapy, when his fist accidentally collided with the imp's skull. Jaken shrieked and turned around, facing Inuyasha's back and yelling, "What was that for?!"

"You were in the way." Was all Inuyasha said, though it came out as a growl. Jaken evidently got the hint, because he sputtered and turned around again, continuing on down the hall.

Inuyasha stopped in front of his brother's room and knocked, knowing better than to walk in unannounced. His brother's voice greeted him moments later. "Enter, Inuyasha."

* * *

**When Inuyasha** stepped into his brother's room, he saw Sesshoumaru slipping both the Tenseiga and Tokijin into the double-loop at his side. He had not yet adorned his Rolex, so he still resembled the dog-demon he was. Rin was sitting on the foot of their King size bed, flipping through her daily planner. She looked up and smiled at Inuyasha in greeting.

Sesshoumaru leveled his golden gaze upon his younger brother, undoubtedly noticing the signs of frustration and not having slept well. He waved a hand towards the couch beside the door, indicating that Inuyasha take a seat.

Inuyasha begrudgingly accepted his older brother's offer and sat down, elbows on knees. He stared intently at a spot on the carpet in front of him. When he didn't speak, Sesshoumaru began the conversation.

"What more have you learned, Inuyasha?" As he spoke, he sat down beside his mate, who had since put her organizer away. She had, of course, been informed of the situation the previous night.

Inuyasha paused, not wanting to say it aloud. Finally, without looking up, he whispered, "She doesn't remember. None of them do. Not a thing."

Sesshoumaru's eyes widened, and Rin gasped, placing a hand over her mouth in shock. She got up and walked over to the couch, sitting beside her brother-in-law, and laid a comforting hand on his shoulder.

"How did you come to this conclusion?" Sesshoumaru asked after a moment's hesitation.

"I watched them. Her grandfather asked for help unpacking the latest shipment of Shikon key chains, of all things, and she asked about the legend of the Shikon Jewel. He told her about what it could do, then he told her about Kikyo and me, and how we were deceived by Naraku. How she stuck me to that tree for 50 years. But he never once used a name, just said 'the priestess' and 'the half-demon.' And then he added that no one knew how 'the half-demon' got off the tree. And she didn't have any reaction, whatsoever, that might indicate she remembered anything. Not a damn thing."

Rin looked over at Sesshoumaru, silently asking what they could possibly do about this newest development. He narrowed his gaze thoughtfully but said nothing. Finally, he stood and walked over to the nightstand, picking up his Rolex. "I do not know what can be done about this, Inuyasha, but we will find a way to aid you if we are able."

"Keh. There probably ain't anything any of us can do about it. How the hell are we supposed to be able to retrieve a _**memory**_?" Inuyasha's tone made it plain that he felt defeated.

Rin gripped his shoulder tighter and voiced her idea. "Maybe you should approach her." She paused, waiting until Inuyasha finally looked up and met her gaze. Then she continued, "So she doesn't remember. Then start over. Befriend her, let her get to know you, trust you. Maybe, with a little luck, her memories will return. But if they don't, you'll still have a chance. She loved you before, after all. So she could fall in love with you all over again, even without those memories. But not if you give up. Besides, if you give up, you'll only kill yourself. That's not like you, now, is it? Do you really want to waste the past 500 years?"

She was right, he knew. Though it would break his heart if she really had lost her memories permanently, that didn't mean that he had to live without her. He could do his best to win her heart now, and be happy with that. His only true alternative was to let her go…and that would kill him. No demon could live without their mate, whether or not he'd ever actually taken her as his mate didn't matter. The only reason he'd survived the past 500 years was because he'd known he'd see her again. There was no doubt in his mind that if she died tomorrow, he'd go with her before the sun had set.

Finally, he nodded. "I suppose that's the only thing I can do, ain't it?"

"It is your best option at the moment, Inuyasha." Sesshoumaru stated.

Inuyasha stood and met his brother's gaze. "Then I guess I'd better start thinkin' about how I wanna go about doin' this. Talk to ya later." Sesshoumaru and Rin watched silently as Inuyasha exited their room.

"How do you think Naraku did it?" Rin asked after a moment of silence. Sesshoumaru's arms wrapped around her from behind and he pulled her up against his chest.

"I do not know, Rin. But, with a little luck, we'll find out."

"I hope so. He's been dead for 500 years, and he's still tormenting Inuyasha. How is that fair?"

"It isn't. But there's nothing we can currently do about it."

* * *

**It was **Friday, and Kagome was walking home with her friends, talking about her upcoming date with Hojo. Yuka and Eri were insisting that they help her pick out the perfect outfit for the event, and Ayumi was promising that everything would go well. None of them were paying any attention to the crowd around them as they walked.

When they rounded a corner, which left a good portion of that crowd behind because it was a street (or sidewalk) less traveled, one of the men who had been slightly behind them for a while suddenly broke into a run. As he passed them, he reached out and snagged the backpack that was half-hanging off of Kagome's shoulders. When he pulled on it, it threw her off balance and nearly knocked her off her feet. Yuka and Eri reached out and caught her before she could fall. Then they hollered at the man to stop.

He gave no sign of listening to them, and Kagome was just about to give chase when another man sprinted past them, quickly closing the distance between himself and the thief. They watched in stunned fascination as the second man grabbed the thief by a shoulder and spun him around, hit him once in the stomach, forcing him to drop the backpack and double over in pain. Then the second man bent over and picked up the backpack before turning around and walking back to them.

Kagome stepped slightly forward, not sure what to say to the stranger who'd just saved her school books. He held out the backpack and grinned nonchalantly at her. "I believe this is yours."

She blushed and took the bag. "Yes, thank you so much. You really didn't have to do that."

He flashed a smile at her. "Keh. People shouldn't take what ain't theirs. I figure, if I can do something about it, then I should."

She smiled gratefully up at him, as he stood half a head taller than her. "I suppose I can understand that. Thanks again."

The man shrugged and stuffed his hands into his jeans pockets. "No big deal. Just be more careful next time."

"I'll try." She smiled again, and he nodded curtly before walking away in the opposite direction. The girls, too, turned and headed towards the shrine.

* * *

**Inuyasha leaned** against the wall of the building on the corner he'd just rounded and ran a hand through his hair. _Damn. That could've gone better. I could've introduced myself, for one thing. And who the hell did that bastard think he was, tryin' to steal from her? Damnit, this ain't gonna be easy…s'pose I already knew that, though._ Just then a distinct, irritating vibration from deep within his back pocket drew his attention. With a barely restrained growl, he yanked the offending phone from his jeans and flipped it open without looking at the caller ID first.

"What?"

"Don't growl at me, Inuyasha. I was hoping I could talk to Kagome; is she there?" It was Shippo.

_Shit. I forgot to call him and tell him what was goin' on._ "Listen, pup…something's come up."

"What's come up? Is she alright?" Even though the kit was practically half a world away in Spain, he could nearly smell his worry.

"Yes and no. She's fine, physically. The problem is…she doesn't….she doesn't remember. Anything."

Shippo was silent for a long moment. Then, "What…what do you mean?"

"Exactly what I just said, damnit! You think I'd _**joke**_ about that?!"

"No, it's just…how?"

"I ain't sure. Naraku, undoubtedly, but how specifically I don't know. Look, kit, I gotta go. I'll call ya if…_**when**_ something new develops."

He heard Shippo sniffle over the line and new exactly how the kit was feeling. "Ok, then. Bye, Inuyasha." And then he hung up.

* * *

**Kagome and** her friends arrived at the Higurashi Shrine not five minutes later. As they climbed the stairs, Kagome couldn't help but roll her eyes at her friend's choice of conversation.

Yuka was gushing. "Did you see his eyes? They were gorgeous!"

"Yeah, I know! But did you see those arms?! Talk about definition!" Eri squealed in agreement.

"He seemed nice." Ayumi added naively. Yuka and Eri both paused and looked over their shoulders at her, as she was three steps beneath them. Kagome, two steps above them, paused as well and watched humorously.

"'Nice'? Ayumi, the man was _**gorgeous**_! I mean, ok, he seemed 'nice', too, but still!" Yuka declared dramatically. Eri nodded her head vigorously in agreement. Then she turned towards Kagome.

"Don't you agree, Kagome?"

Kagome blushed and began walking up the steps again. Over her shoulder, she called, "Oh, I dunno, I didn't really look, you know? But Ayumi's right, he _**was**_ nice. I mean, he _**did**_ go out of his way to get back my backpack for me."

There was a dramatic silence behind her, and Kagome feared that her friends were thinking again. When Yuka spoke, her fears were confirmed. "_**Kagome**_! You've got a crush on that guy, don't you?! Not that I blame you, I mean, he was absolutely gorgeous, _**and**_ he seemed like a genuinely nice guy. Good for you!"

"Still, it's not like you'll ever see him again, so you might as well forget about it, right?" Eri added.

Kagome sighed as she came to the landing. "Look, alright, I get your point. But if I hear you say 'he's gorgeous!' one more time, I'm going to puke!"

"Oh, alright, fine. I'll stop gushing. I suppose it'd make more sense to gush over someone whose name I knew, anyway, right?" Yuka asked rhetorically.

* * *

**A couple **of hours later, the girls were still at Kagome's. They'd officially finished their homework and had started in on Saturday. Yuka was in the middle of explaining what she should and should not expect on a first date when Grandpa Higurashi came to the bedroom door.

"Kagome, aren't you supposed to be sweeping the walk-way?"

Kagome jumped up from her bed. "Oh! Gramps, I'm sorry, I forgot! I'll start right away!"

The old man nodded and shuffled away. Kagome turned to her friends apologetically. "We can still talk, but I really do have to sweep."

"Oh, that's ok. Let's go outside, it's a great day anyway." Ayumi stated as they all turned and headed downstairs.

Less than three minutes later, they were outside and Kagome was armed with an old, semi-affective broom. She began sweeping from the landing of the stairs and her friends stood a few feet away.

"So, like I was saying, tomorrow, you have to expect 'casual' and 'relaxed.' Typically, on the first date, there isn't any kissing, you know? I mean, I suppose he could kiss your hand or something, but not anything…um, more intimate." Yuka declared.

Kagome shook her head. "You're making this sound like it's life threatening or something. It's _**just**_ a _**date**_. A _**picnic**_, for crying out loud. And his _**mom's**_ going to be there! There's not even going to be an opportunity for kissing!"

Yuka shook her head stubbornly. "Oh ye of little faith. The guy's nuts about you; he'll look for an opportunity. He's been after you for, like, _**three years**_!"

"Exactly! He's probably already even bought the ring!" Eri added, before clapping a hand over her mouth.

"Don't be ridiculous, Eri. We're only in our last year of _**high school**_, not college. Besides, if that were true, wouldn't that seem, oh, I dunno, sort of _**creepy**_?" Kagome reasoned as she swept.

"Don't listen to her, Kagome, she was just exaggerating. But if you actually show up for this date-" Yuka began.

Kagome cut her off. "Hey! Now that's not my fault! I've been sick, almost _**every day**_ for the past three years! And the doctor's have _**no**_ idea what was wrong with me; and I'm hoping it's gone now, but that's beside the point. I didn't _**want**_ to cancel those dates, but I couldn't help it, now could I?"

Yuka sighed. "I suppose not. Still, my point is, assuming you don't get sick between now and then, he'll probably sit down and plan out your next…oh, I don't know, year's worth of dates or something. He's _**seriously**_ got it bad for you, girl!"

"Yeah, and Hojo also happens to be a nice guy. He's not some player, you know? Like a jerk who'll just keep you around until he gets what he wants; he's honest and sweet!" Ayumi jumped in helpfully. The girls paled slightly.

"Ayumi! No one was saying that he was some 'player,' where'd you come up with that?" Yuka wondered, her focus temporarily shifting. Kagome silently thanked whoever was listening that the focus had been removed from her for at least another two minutes.

* * *

**Up in **the Goshinboku, hidden by layers of branches and thick, green leaves, Inuyasha was fighting the possessive growl that wanted so desperately to rip from his chest. _A date?! She's going on a __**DATE**__ with that Akitoki-wannabe?! _It didn't help him any to remind himself that she no longer knew him, because he remembered her, and logically, she should remember him, too. _But she doesn't, damnit, so it makes…__**some**__ sense that she'd be open to dating someone else. She doesn't…she doesn't love me; she doesn't know me. Except as the Guy Who Saved Her Backpack. Keh._

He watched in frustration as Kagome's friends stayed for another hour and a half, mostly chatting about her upcoming First Date. And he kept telling himself that it wasn't worth worrying about, all the while secretly wondering if he was doomed to failure; if Naraku had truly gotten the last laugh after all.

He stayed in the tree, as he had the night before, until long after the last light in the house had been extinguished. Then he jumped soundlessly from the tree to the outside of her window once more and looked in. After a moment, he turned and headed for his once-again discarded bike.

* * *

**When he **got home, he noticed his answering machine blinking rapidly up at him. Tossing his keys and watch on the counter top, he reached over with his other hand and punched the 'play' button. The first message was from Shippo.

"Hey, Inuyasha. I got to thinking about our conversation earlier. I know this is tons harder for you than it is for me, and even though I'm a long ways away, I'd be willing to come back home for a while, if there's anything I can do. And, Inuyasha, please…well, you know…get her back." He paused, and Inuyasha heard the distinct sound of a muffled voice in the background. "Gotta go, Inuyasha. Call me." With a click, the fox demon was gone.

The second message was a telemarketer, selling something that Inuyasha knew he didn't want, despite their 'once in a lifetime deal.' Punching the erase button, the machine switched to the final message. A voice he most certainly wasn't expecting to hear.

"Hey, Mutt-Face. I called your brother this afternoon, to see what was up with you an' Kagome. He told me about her, ah…amnesia. He also said you suspected Naraku was behind it somehow…an' seeing as how I do sorta remember that story…well, damn. That's pretty harsh, I'll admit. Listen, I know we haven't always gotten along, especially where Kagome's concerned, but…I do consider you a friend, these days. So, if you need anything…let me know. Oh, and Ayame says 'hi.'" With that, Kouga was gone.

Hitting erase once more, the message machine was empty once again. He ran a hand through his silver hair and grabbed a bottle of water from the fridge. Then he made his way to the living room and collapsed on the couch. He was officially willing to admit that he was hungry, but he didn't have anywhere near the energy to put something in the oven for dinner. Or the microwave.

* * *

**To say **he was startled when someone knocked on his door half an hour later would be an understatement. He'd been half-asleep out of pure emotional exhaustion, and almost hadn't heard the soft knock. Still, he stood when the knock sounded a second time. Placing his empty water bottle on the table beside the couch, he made his way to the door, his left hand landing reflexively on the hilt of his Tetsusaiga.

He remembered to snag his watch moments before he opened the door. As it turned out, it was an unnecessary gesture. Standing on the other side of the door, half-hidden behind a large plate of covered food, was one of his many nephews. His nose told him the food was fresh; not even cold yet. He stepped aside, allowing the younger man through.

Ryu Taisho made his way confidently to his uncle's oversized kitchen (which he knew for a fact was underused) and set the platter down. He heard Inuyasha move to stand in the entryway and turned around, smirking at his uncle. "Rumor has it that you might be neglecting your three squares a day. So I brought you dinner for two. For you."

One of Inuyasha's dark eyebrows rose as he leaned against the counter top and crossed his arms. "Yeah? And this rumor, did it come disguised as your mother?"

"Of course it did. She also said to make sure you looked ok, given the circumstances, and to call if you looked like you needed supervision. Now, you might want to eat this before it goes cold; the smell's been killing me all the way here, too."

Inuyasha paused, then sighed and shoved off the wall and made his way to the dinner platter his nephew had gone through the trouble of bringing. Ryu reached around him and lifted the cover dramatically, revealing a nice, thick steak, cooked exactly how he liked it. Red. There was a smaller steak beside it and two baked potatoes, still steaming slightly.

* * *

**Ryu stayed** while Inuyasha ate the steaks and one and a half of the potatoes. He snagged the second half of the second one, once he was certain his uncle wasn't going to eat it. When they were done, Ryu stood and collected the dishes that he'd brought with him. "Guess I should take these back to the house, now." He paused, and turned back towards Inuyasha. His face was serious. "If it's any difference, Uncle, I think you're handling all this pretty well. If it was me, and Narya, I don't know what I'd do. Go crazy, for sure." Narya was Ryu's Russian mate; they'd only been together for eighty years so far, but they were doing well.

Inuyasha crossed his arms again. He was silent a moment. Finally, his voice calm, he replied, "It's only day two, pup. Much as I'd like to think I can pull through this, the truth o' the matter is, if she doesn't remember…there won't be much I can do. I can try to make her love me _**now**_, but…it'll be a hell of a lot easier to fail. Especially since I don't know what the hell I did to make her love me in the first place. And if I fail on that, too…." He let his voice trail. Ryu was just as half-demon as he was; he knew the consequences for losing one's mate. Ryu nodded.

"Yeah, I know. But you'll do it, Uncle. You just have to be patient. And, well, cliché as it sounds, you have to believe that it'll work, you know?"

"Keh."

Ryu grinned and picked up the plates again. "Well, I should be going. I'll talk to ya later, then. Good night, Uncle Yash." And then he let himself out the door, with Inuyasha yelling at him not to call him that.

_**To Be Continued…**_

_**A/N:**_ Ok, no cliff-hanger that time. I realize it may seem like the story is progressing slowly, but that's how I've planned it, so don't fret! Oh, and please review and let me know what you think! (But, as always, be gentle!)


	4. Chapter 3

_**A/N:**_ Chapter three!!! Woo-hoo! Ahem. Anyway, things are going to get a bit more interesting this chapter, I promise. I mean, there's this whole date with Hojo thing going on, and…nah, you'll just have to read it. LOL. And, as always, please forgive the little errors and OOCness. Thank you.

**Disclaimer:** My name is not Kagome, so therefore, I do not own Inuyasha. Or any of the characters that appear in his show. They all belong to Rumiko Takahashi. But I do own the ones you _**don't**_ recognize.

**Unnatural Amnesia**

**Chapter Three:**

**Saturday morning**, Kagome woke up a little after ten and took a quick shower. Then she dug through her closet, searching for something decent to wear on a picnic, which just so happened to be doubling as her first _**real**_ date. With the most sought-after guy in her high school.

_This is a lot more nerve-wracking than I thought it'd be. I really need to relax; it's just Hojo. And we're not going to be alone together or anything…at least, I don't think we are. Oh, boy, I have no idea what to wear!_ Finally, she came across her favorite blue sundress and pulled it out.

* * *

**She descended** the stairs about ten minutes later, after having made sure she was completely presentable. She found her mother in the kitchen, doing the breakfast dishes and humming softly to herself.

"Hey, Mom." Kagome greeted as she sat down in one of the kitchen chairs. Her mother paused and tossed a smile over her shoulders at her daughter.

"Good morning, Kagome. Did you sleep well?"

Kagome nodded. "Yep. Where're gramps and Souta?"

"Oh, your grandfather had to go to the pharmacy to refill his subscription, and Souta decided to keep him company. They should be back in about an hour." Her mother paused again, but only in speech, before asking, "Are you ready for your date this afternoon?"

Kagome blushed despite herself. "I think so. I'm a bit nervous, though. I mean…it's my first actual date, you know?"

"Don't be nervous, dear. You'll be fine. I'll bet you'll have lots of fun at the park, especially since it's such a beautiful day today. Perfect weather for a picnic."

Kagome smiled and agreed, it was a beautiful day, indeed. _Mom's right. I bet it'll be fun. Now if only I could relax…._

* * *

**"She's got** a date?" Rin asked despite herself. Inuyasha nodded glumly. Sesshoumaru was in his office, talking with the man Inuyasha had interrupted two days previously. Rin was on the couch in the living room, and Inuyasha was collapsed against one of the leather chairs opposite it. "With who?"

"Hojo. He's a boy in her school who's had a thing for her since I met her…I've never liked him."

Rin chuckled lightly before saying, "Well, if he's had a crush on her for as long as you've known her, then that much would be obvious. If you'd said you _**had**_ liked him, then I'd be worried."

"Keh." He scoffed, rolling his eyes half-heartedly.

Rin sighed. "Ok, so should I take it that you have no intention of shadowing her today?"

"And risk murdering that little twerp? Better not."

"Then why don't you do me a favor; it might keep your mind occupied somewhat."

Inuyasha quirked an eyebrow and met her gaze curiously. "What sort o' favor?"

Rin reached in her purse and extracted a check. "Could you deliver this check to Anami? She's feeling a bit under the weather today and couldn't come in to get it herself." Anami was the demon babysitter that Rin and Sesshoumaru employed when one of them was unable to watch their youngest, Karu. She'd been with the family, babysitting, for decades.

Inuyasha sighed and stood, crossing the room and snagging the check from his sister-in-law's light grasp. "Fine, I'll go deliver the check."

"Thank you."

* * *

**Hojo called** the shrine barely two minutes before noon, apologizing profusely because his grandmother had fallen ill the previous night and he and his mother were going to spend the weekend with her in the hospital instead. Kagome assured him that she understood, and he offered to make it up to her sometime. He said he'd take her to a movie when he got the chance, and then he hung up.

Kagome put the receiver down and took a deep breath. _Great. Here I am, all set to go on my first date, and he cancels. Not that I don't understand, of course…it's just…ironic, I suppose. Still, now what am I going to do today? Hey, I know!_

Walking into the living room, Kagome tapped her mother on the shoulder lightly to get her attention, and then told her what had happened.

"Oh dear, that's horrible!"

Kagome nodded. "I know. Hey, I was wondering, can I maybe go out for some ice cream or something?"

Mrs. Higurashi smiled. "Of course, Kagome. Do you need money?"

Kagome shook her head. "No, I've still got a little left over from last week's allowance. Thanks, Mom!" And then she quickly pulled on her shoes and ran out the door.

She got to the local ice cream shop just after the afternoon crush of people, so the line was long. But she stood patiently, knowing it'd be worth it and having nothing better to do, anyway. When her turn finally came, she ordered something with lots of strawberry chunks on a cone and stepped aside for the next person to order. Her ice cream came two minutes later and she turned and managed to snag an empty table near the back. Then she began absent-mindedly licking her ice cream off of the cone as she watched the people pass by the large window beside her.

* * *

**Anami had** been grateful to get her check on time, and Inuyasha had lingered long enough to be polite before leaving. He was walking casually, hands in his pockets, down the street, wondering what he was going to do with the rest of his day. He had to avoid the park, or something bad would happen…though, admittedly, the idea didn't bother him as much as it probably should've.

He had just passed the ice cream shop when the wind shifted and a familiar, unexpected scent caught his attention. He froze mid-step, barely noticing the man who nearly ran into him when he stopped. _Kagome._ He stood there, eyes wide, for a few seconds; then he abruptly spun around and walked into the ice cream shop.

Deciding to play it 'cool,' he stood in line like an ordinary customer and ordered a single scoop of cookie-dough ice cream. He stepped aside to wait impatiently and snagged the cone from his server's hand the moment it was within reach. Then he turned slowly, surveying the room and available places to sit. _Huh. No empty tables; ain't that convenient. Here we go._

Casually walking over towards the table in the back where Kagome was sitting, he absentmindedly began licking at the slowly melting ice cream. When he came upon her table, she was looking out the window and obviously hadn't seen his approach. _Perfect._

"Excuse me," he said politely. He licked off some more of the ice cream in order to hide the grin that threatened to show when she flinched, startled. Then she turned around, and her eyes got huge a moment before a sweet smile graced her lips.

"Oh, hi. Can I help you?"

This time he allowed the grin to show. "Yeah; is this seat taken? There's no where else to sit in this place." _Damn, how cliché is that line?_

She nodded the affirmative. "Yeah, help yourself. It is pretty crowded in here, isn't it?"

"Keh. You can definitely say that again." Inuyasha replied, pulling out the chair opposite hers and settling himself in it. He flashed another grin at her before licking off a drop of runaway ice cream.

* * *

**Kagome was** understandably surprised to see the man who had saved her backpack the other day, but she couldn't say she was bothered by it. _For a man I've never met; whose name I don't know, I don't feel uncomfortable around him. I wonder why._

"So, do you…mind if I ask your name?" Kagome asked hesitantly. She watched as his eyes, which had wandered to the windows and people beyond, snapped back to hers. After a moment, he smirked slightly.

"Inuyasha. Inuyasha Taisho." _Had to know she'd ask; she doesn't remember. Damn!_ He took another swipe at his quickly-disappearing ice cream as he studied her, hoping for a reaction to his name. He wasn't surprised when the only reaction she had was a small gasp. _Not the recognition I was hopin' for. Damn it all!_

She smiled kindly after a nearly awkward pause and extended her free hand across the table. "It's nice to officially meet you, Mr. Taisho. I'm Kagome Higurashi."

He nodded faintly and reached across the table as well, clasping her hand in his and shaking firmly. He hoped she'd ignore the subtle way his hand squeezed hers tightly before pulling away again. To help it pass, he said, "At least the introductions didn't come after another mugging. And you can call me Inuyasha; save the title for my brother." He added a small smirk when he'd finished, watching her closely.

She chuckled slightly and popped the final piece of her cone into her mouth. When she'd swallowed, she commented, "Alright, then. I must admit, I'd never been mugged before. Thank you, by the way. I'd have hated to have to pay for that math book again."

He grinned as he crunched into his own cone. "I can see where that'd be inconvenient." He paused, pretending to seem thoughtful, and said, "Tell me, are you related to the Higurashi family that owns that shrine?"

She nodded. "Yep. The priest is my grandfather. He's trying to convince me and my little brother, Souta, to start running the shrine for him."

"Really? So he wants you to become a priestess or something?"

"Pretty much. Souta refuses to help because Gramps keeps telling him he'll have to shave his head."

Inuyasha couldn't quite contain the smirk this time. "And that'd ruin his reputation, right?"

Kagome laughed, her eyes shining happily. "Exactly. But, anyway, the shrine's all I know, really. I've lived there all my life."

"Hmm. Are you planning to stay there after you graduate, or what?"

She paused this time, resting her chin on the heel of her right palm, elbow on the table top as she thought about his question. "I'm not sure. I haven't really given it much thought."

He raised an eyebrow in curiosity and shifted his weight a bit. "Really? Aren't you fairly close to graduation, though?"

"Yeah. I'll be graduating in just over a month, actually."

"But you don't have plans for after high school?"

She shook her head and her eyes drooped slightly. "No. You see, for the past three years, I've been…sick. Off and on, of course, but…well, it seems like I spent more time at home in bed or at the hospital than in class. I was positive I'd flunk out of school altogether, so I never really gave any thought to where I'd go afterwards. I haven't heard from any colleges…not that that surprises me, really. But I think I'm doing better now; it's like, I woke up the other day and everything was different. No more sickness, thank goodness."

Inuyasha was silent for a few moments. _Sick? She remembers being sick for three years…didn't old man Higurashi always tell the school she was sick when she went through the well? Damn, what the Hell does that mean?_ "Huh. Do the doctors know what was wrong with you?"

Kagome shook her head again. "No, they don't. Sometimes I was diagnosed with the flu, or something similar, but they never came up with anything…definitive."

"Well, at least you feel better now, right?"

She looked up, meeting his gaze again. After a beat, she smiled and the light returned to her eyes. "Yeah." Then she paused and leaned forward. "I'm sorry, you probably don't want to hear me rant about my problems. What about you? How's life in the hotel business? If you don't mind my asking, that is."

Inuyasha scoffed. "Keh. I don't mind. My older brother does most o' the work, anyway. Hotels are just big apartment buildings with a lot more clientele. And it's pretty boring. Which is why I only actually run the security detail."

Kagome chuckled slightly at his explanation. After a moment, she asked, "So, then what do you do for fun?"

"Whatever I feel like, really. Some days I go for a ride on my bike just to pass time…sometimes I visit some relatives out o' the country. Depends on my mood, I guess."

"Sounds fun. Do you have a big family?"

Inuyasha grinned for reasons he knew she didn't understand and replied, "You could say that. What about you?"

With a shake of her head, Kagome replied, "Huh-uh. It's just me, Mom, Souta, and Gramps. My dad died when I was young and his parents were both gone when I was born. Since Mom was an only child, and so was Dad…it's just us."

Inuyasha, who already knew all of this, nodded understandingly. "Is that a bad thing?"

"No! No, not at all! I love my family dearly; I can't imagine my life without them. I'm sorry, I didn't mean to sound like I don't appreciate my family."

"Keh. Don't apologize; I didn't get that impression. Just wanted to make sure I wasn't wrong."

She smiled appreciatively. "I see."

* * *

**They had** been talking for a while when something began ringing in Kagome's purse. She jumped, startled by the sudden noise and unzipped the small bag. After a moment's digging, she retrieved her cell phone and flipped it open, mouthing an apology at Inuyasha.

"Hello?" After a moment, her eyes widened and she blushed, though the person on the other end couldn't see her. "Oh, I'm so sorry! I didn't realize it was already two o' clock! I'll meet you and Gramps at the game, I promise!" And then she hung up and dropped the phone back in her bag.

Inuyasha cocked an eyebrow at her as she stood. He followed suit. "Forgot about something, I take it?"

"My little brother, Souta, has a soccer game today. If I don't hurry, I'll be late!"

"Mind if I tag along? You shouldn't walk on your own in a big city, anyway."

Kagome smiled up at him as they pushed through the crowd and out of the store. "Well, I guess chivalry really isn't dead. Ok, I suppose you can come. My family won't mind."

He smirked and shoved his hands back into his pockets as they walked through the city.

* * *

**It took **them about ten minutes to get to the stadium where Souta's team was playing. Kagome led the way through the crowd of milling families and rows of bleachers until they came upon her family. Mrs. Higurashi smiled as she saw her daughter approaching.

"Oh, good, you made it. They're just starting. Who's this?" She asked, surprised to see a stranger walk up behind Kagome.

"This is Inuyasha Taisho. He's the one who saved my backpack yesterday; we ran into each other at the ice cream shop." Turning, she addressed Inuyasha and said, "Inuyasha, this is my mom. And that's Grandpa Higurashi."

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Taisho. Are you here for the game?"

Inuyasha shrugged. "Yeah; sounded fun."

* * *

**Inuyasha took **the seat beside Kagome, who was sitting beside her mother, and they watched the game. He only paid partial attention, allowing his mind to wander. _Well, she trusts me; at least a little. That much is obvious. Which is good; that's one less barrier to have to overcome later. Maybe this isn't so hopeless…maybe._

The game lasted until just before four o' clock that afternoon. Souta's team had won. After the appropriate amount of celebrating with his teammates, the youngest Higurashi raced up the bleachers excitedly. "Mom! Gramps! Sis! Did you see? We won! How cool is that?!"

"Congratulations, Souta, I'm so proud of you!" Mrs. Higurashi stated honestly, engulfing her son in a giant hug.

"Not bad, twerp. But don't go letting this all go to your head." Kagome teased as she ruffled her brother's hair playfully.

Souta swatted her hand away as he extracted himself from his mother. "Sis, cut it out!" Then he noticed the man who was leaning against the railing behind his sister, watching them all with a smirk on his face. "Who's he?"

"Oh, this is Inuyasha Taisho. He's a friend of your sister's." Mrs. Higurashi stated. Souta looked over at Inuyasha, quiet at first.

Then, he said, "Cool! I'm Souta. You might wanna watch out for Kagome; she's an odd one."

Kagome rolled her eyes. "Ha, ha, very funny."

* * *

**The group** migrated away from the school's stadium and back onto the street. Inuyasha walked with them, silently observing, back to the shrine. When they arrived at the oversized staircase, Souta and Grandpa Higurashi immediately began the climb. Mrs. Higurashi turned to Inuyasha and said, "It was a pleasure meeting you, Mr. Taisho. Good evening." Then she, too, began the climb.

Kagome turned and faced Inuyasha, smiling honestly up at him. He grinned back. "Thanks for letting me tag along this afternoon."

"It's ok. I'm glad we met up at the ice cream shop. Thanks for keeping me company."

"Keh." He paused then, not sure what to say next.

"Maybe I'll see you again sometime?" Kagome said after a beat of silence. His grin returned and he once again shoved his hands into his pockets.

"Maybe. G'night, Kagome." Then he turned and began walking away casually.

Kagome waved at him as she called, "Good night, Inuyasha!" Then she began the climb up towards her home. _Today didn't turn out too bad. He's a really nice guy. Oh no! If Yuka and Eri find out, they're never going to drop it!_ She sighed, knowing it was only a matter of time.

* * *

**Inuyasha turned** the corner and then quickly dove into the bushes beside the road and then leapt into the branches overhead. Before long, he was once again hidden behind the thick foliage of the Goshinboku. He watched in silence as Kagome ascended the final steps and walked across her family's property. She paused as she passed the sacred tree and looked up. After a moment, she shook her head and continued on her way.

He stayed silent and motionless, as he had the previous two nights, until all the lights were out. This time, though, he forced himself to leave without stopping at the landing in front of Kagome's window.

* * *

**He detoured** to a late-night pizza place and grabbed a large, meat-filled pizza to go before heading home. He pulled into his driveway and paused only briefly when he discovered a car that didn't belong to him in his driveway. When he walked past it to let himself in, he confirmed his suspicion of the owner.

Letting himself in, he closed and locked the door behind him, tossing the keys and his watch onto the counter once again. The owner of the convertible sports car in his driveway was resting casually on his couch. He looked up, and then stood up, when Inuyasha entered.

"Keh, just make yourself at home, why dontcha, runt?" Inuyasha asked as he strode into his living room and flopped down on the couch, opening the pizza box and snagging a slice.

Shippo grinned at his surrogate father and snagged a slice of his own quickly. "If you say so, Inuyasha."

"Hey, this is _**my **_dinner, kit, go get your own." Inuyasha growled half-heartedly.

Shippo leaned back as he bit into the slice he'd stolen. "So, Inuyasha…how are you?"

The powerful half-demon was silent a long moment. "Could be worse, I suppose. Why'd you come?"

"To help. I know this can't be easy for you, and I figured that, whether or not you'll admit it, you can use all the support you can get. So I came." Shippo paused, sniffing the air. "Did you spend the day with her or something?"

Inuyasha sighed. "Yeah. Found her at an ice cream shop, figured it couldn't hurt to talk to her. Then we went to Souta's soccer game, and then I walked her an' the rest o' the family home."

"I guess that's progress."

"Yeah. But _**progress**_ shouldn't be necessary, remember?"

"Of course I remember, Inuyasha! Still, progress is progress. It's a good thing."

"Keh. How long're you plannin' to stay in town?"

Shippo shrugged indecisively. "I don't know. A week or two maybe. I already spoke to Sesshoumaru, and he said I could crash at his place, but I wanted you to know that I was in town."

Inuyasha nodded. "Ok." Then he paused and, after a moment, added softly, "Thanks, Shippo."

The fox demon nodded solemnly and stood. "You're welcome. I'd better get back now; it was a long flight, you know. See you tomorrow, Inuyasha." And then he let himself out. Inuyasha went to bed shortly thereafter.

_**To Be Continued…**_

_**A/N:**_ Ok, so to clear up the possible confusion about Inuyasha, let me explain: The Taishos (aka Sesshoumaru and Inuyasha) own the most successful branch of hotels throughout Asia. (I'm sure that's been done before, but bare with me). Sesshoumaru is the public face, 'cause Inuyasha doesn't like that much attention. Still, everyone knows their names (though Inuyasha is much less known by the media; hence his ability to go places without being mobbed). I'm sure I forgot to cover something in this, so please let me know if you've got any other questions. Otherwise, please enjoy and don't forget to review!


	5. Chapter 4

_**A/N:**_ Chapter four!! Yippee!! LOL. Oh, and I am soooooooo sorry for the long update! Too many things, not enough time to do them all!! Anyway, here's the next chapter; more development is sure to begin! Please enjoy!

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Inuyasha. Therefore, I write fan-fiction.

**Unnatural Amnesia**

**Chapter Four:**

**Kagome's phone** rang at ten o'clock that morning, rousing her from a deep sleep. _Huh? My cell phone? I thought I turned it off…must've forgotten._ Reaching over blindly, she eventually found her phone and flipped it open.

"Yeah…what's up?"

"Kagome? It's Yuka. You're not still asleep, are you?" Yuka sounded far too awake for ten in the morning on a Sunday.

"No, I'm not. You woke me up."

"Oh. Well, it's ten, you should be up anyway."

"Yuka, why'd you call again?"

"Your date with Hojo. How'd it go? Did you kiss? Are you engaged yet?"

Kagome shot upright, suddenly awake and frustrated. "No! No, we didn't kiss, and we're _**definitely**_ not engaged!"

Yuka paused. "Ok, jeez, don't bite my head off. Why didn't you at least kiss? You're in desperate need of your first kiss, girl!"

Kagome rolled her eyes. "Nothing happened, because we didn't go out yesterday." _Let her play with that for a bit._

There was a longer, more dramatic pause this time. Finally, Yuka spoke. "_**What?**_ Why not? Why didn't you go out?"

"Because Hojo's grandmother is in the hospital, and he wanted to spend time with her."

Yuka sighed. "So, why didn't you call me?"

"Why would I have called you? It was _**my**_ date, Yuka. I figured I'd tell you and the others on Monday. You know, at school. Besides, I ended up going to the ice cream shop; then I went to Souta's soccer game."

"So, your day was boring, then? How sad."

Kagome paused. _I probably shouldn't say this._ "I wouldn't say boring. I had fun. In fact, I almost forgot to go to the game; lost track of time."

"Why'd you lose track of time? I mean, was the ice cream that good?"

"No. I was talking to…someone."

"Oh? Who? It wasn't Eri, was it? You wouldn't tell her first, would you?"

"Jeez, Yuka, calm down. No, it wasn't Eri." Kagome sighed, knowing she wouldn't get out of saying it. "Remember that guy from the other day? The one who rescued my backpack? Well, we ran into each other at the ice cream place, so we talked."

She heard Yuka take in a surprised gasp, pause, and then Yuka began what she knew was coming. "Kagome! You're not two-timing Hojo, are you? And why wouldn't you call and tell me about him when you got to your brother's game?"

"No, I'm not two-timing Hojo. And I didn't call for two reasons; one, I never thought of it. Two, he was there; he'd have heard."

"Wait, you went to the game with him? Kagome!" A pause, then, "What's his name? Is he nice?"

"His name is Inuyasha, and yes, he's nice." _Best to keep the family name out of it for now; I don't want Yuka jumping all over me for 'hooking up' with a famous guy. _A knock at her door drew Kagome's attention, and she looked up in time to see her mother open the door. Her mother mouthed 'breakfast' and left again. "Listen, Yuka, I have to go. Talk to you later?"

"Sure, Kagome. Bye!"

* * *

**That afternoon,** around two o' clock, the phone rang. Souta answered it, as he was closest. A moment later, he put his hand over the mouth and hollered, "Hey, sis! It's for you!"

"Ok!" Kagome stood from her spot in front of the television, where she'd been channel surfing, and walked to the hall, where the phone was. "Hello?"

"Hi, Kagome. It's Hojo. How're you?"

"Oh, hey, Hojo. I'm fine, thanks. How's your grandma?"

"She's doing better. Doctors expect her to come home tomorrow."

"That's great."

"Listen, I was wondering. Would you like to see a movie today? I know it's not exactly the same as a picnic, but I figure it's a start, right?"

"Sure; what time?"

"How about I pick you up in half-an-hour?"

"Sounds great. I'll see you then."

"Great! Bye, Kagome!"

* * *

**Kagome turned** and walked back into the living room after she'd hung up. Then she explained her impromptu date to her mother, who smiled and told her to have fun.

Hojo showed up five minutes early and Kagome waved good-bye to her family. They descended the stairs in companionable silence, until Hojo spoke. "I'm really sorry about yesterday, Kagome. I hope it wasn't too much of an inconvenience."

"Oh, no, it was fine. I understand. Family's important."

Hojo smiled at her. "I agree completely."

"So, tell me Hojo, what movie are we seeing?"

* * *

**Two and **half hours later, they exited the movie theater. They'd seen the newest comedy, which had only come out a couple of days prior, so the theater was packed. As they walked out of the building, Hojo non-chalantly grabbed her hand and laced his fingers through her own. Kagome fought the urge to pull her hand away, telling herself that it was normal and just a friendly gesture.

"So, did you like the movie?" She asked, seeking to find something to think about besides their entwined hands.

"Oh, absolutely! I especially liked when he tripped and accidentally dumped the ice cream all over himself! It was hilarious!"

Kagome laughed, recalling the scene easily. "Yeah, it was." The mention of the ice cream sent her mind reeling back to the day before, when she'd spent most of it with Inuyasha at the ice cream shop. She blushed slightly, suddenly feeling almost guilty, and shook her head.

"Everything ok, Kagome?" Hojo asked upon seeing her shake her head.

She blushed brighter and smiled at him. "Everything's fine, Hojo. There was…a fly buzzing around my head, that's all."

He smiled back. "Ah! I hate that, don't you?"

"Mhm. Always irritates me."

"Oh! Remember the part when…"

* * *

**They continued **talking about the movie all the way back to the shrine, and Hojo walked her up the stairs, stopping at the top and smiling graciously. "So, I'm glad you came with me today, Kagome."

Kagome smiled. "It was fun. Thanks so much for the movie."

"You're welcome. So, I guess I'll….see you tomorrow, then? At school?"

"I guess. Have a good night, Hojo."

"You, too, Kagome!" He smiled a huge smile, waved and turned, walking quickly down the steps.

"Well, at least you two didn't kiss or something. That would've been gross." Souta said from somewhere behind his sister. Kagome spun around at her little brother's words and found him kicking his soccer ball around in circles in front of the old well house.

"You little brat! Were you there the whole time? Spying on me?!"

"Hey, don't get mad at me! I've been outside playing for over an hour, you're the one who just got home!" Souta argued, stopping the ball with his foot so that he could focus on sticking his tongue out at his sister before kicking it again.

"You should be careful; Gramps'll be angry if you kick that thing through the wall of the well house."

Souta scoffed. "The well house isn't _**that**_ old!"

* * *

**"Kagome? Are** you home?" Mrs. Higurashi's voice drifted from the open doorway and interrupted the siblings' argument. A large, happy smile spread across her face as she saw her daughter look over at her in response. "How was your date, dear? Did you have fun?"

Kagome blushed brightly as she walked away from her brother and towards the house. "Yeah, Mom, it was fine. The movie was pretty good." As she spoke, her mother stepped aside and let her enter the house, calling to Souta that dinner was in half an hour, and then she shut the door.

* * *

**Inuyasha slowly,** quietly, released his vice-grip on the trunk of the Goshinboku, shaking his clawed hands to remove the flecks of bark that were stuck inside of them. Then he sagged back, head soundlessly thumping on the sturdy tree trunk as he looked up towards the blue sky, through the dense leaves that hid him so well. _So that's where she was. She was on a…__**date**__ with Hobo…ok, I can deal with that. Just gotta try an' distract her from him; which means I have to run into her again…. Damn, Naraku, whatever you did to her, I won't sit back an' watch her forget me. No way in Hell._

* * *

**Monday morning** came, and Kagome's alarm clock went off at 6:30, like it did every school day. And she slept right through it. It wasn't until 7:00, when her mother came upstairs to see why she hadn't come down yet, that she woke up. Mrs. Higurashi stepped inside the room, shut off the annoying beeping, and placed her hand gently on her daughter's forehead, checking for signs of a fever. Finding none, she lightly grasped Kagome's arm and shook.

"Kagome, dear, it's Monday. You have to get up and go to school." When that didn't work, she sat down and began rubbing Kagome's leg and patting it randomly. "Kagome," she said, slightly louder.

Kagome woke with a gasp, her eyes snapping open, and her breathing slightly erratic. She calmed herself down within moments, and sat up. "Mom? What're you doing in my room?"

"It's just after seven in the morning, dear."

"Oh my God! School!" And the nightmare that she'd had was suddenly, and completely, forgotten.

* * *

**The girls** were gathered around their favorite tree, eating lunch and talking about classes and what they were going to do that summer when Hojo walked up. He waved as he approached, and Kagome returned it politely.

"Hey, girls. How are you today?" He asked conversationally as he sat down beside Kagome, who was seated across from Yuka and Eri. Ayumi was helping a teacher clean up some papers, so she wasn't with them.

"Good," they chorused as he made himself comfortable. The group descended into silence, and Yuka looked over to Eri, then back to Kagome and Hojo before speaking.

"Hey, I just remembered that we, uh, promised to help Ayumi and Mr. Chiba organize the papers, didn't we, Eri?" As she spoke, she collected her empty tray and half-finished juice-bottle and stood quickly.

"We did? Oh! Oh, right, of course! Nice to see you, Hojo! Talk later, Kagome!" And they were off.

"Well, I guess it's just us, then." Hojo said plainly, biting into his orange.

"Yeah," Kagome said evenly. _Thanks a lot, Yuka. Really._

* * *

**Kenichi Ookami** watched from across the yard as Hojo attempted to flirt with Kagome Higurashi. He was leaning against a tree, half-hidden by the shade. He shook his head with a slightly disgusted sigh and pushed away from the tree. _If Dad wants me to keep an eye on the priestess while we're still in school, then that's what I'll do. But I'm pretty sure Mr. Popularity isn't supposed to be part of the equation._

As he started walking, his mind searched for an understandable reason to be approaching them, and he nearly grinned when he remembered that he had the perfect excuse. _Finally, that class is serving a purpose._

* * *

**Kagome felt **the hair on the back of her neck stand up, and she turned around slightly, just in time to see one of her classmates walking up. _That's odd._

"Hey, sorry to interrupt."

"Hey Kenichi. What's up?" Kagome asked kindly as the young man sat down opposite them, leaning his back against the tree. He nodded at Hojo wordlessly.

"I was wondering if you could tell me what our homework was over the weekend? I totally forgot. Had the family over for a birthday and all that…"

"Oh, the homework? We had to read the next chapter in the text book, that's all. Chapter 21, in case you forgot."

He grinned, then pretended to hesitate, and said, "Uh, I kinda left it at home. Think I could get you to recap it for me? Or lend me yours for a minute?"

"Oh, sure. Hold on a sec," she said, grabbing her backpack and digging through it. A moment later, she pulled out their textbook and handed it over to him. "There you go. It's only six pages, so you should have plenty of time."

"Thanks so much; I'd hate to have a quiz on it the one time I don't read, y'know?" Then he settled himself more comfortably and flipped to the beginning of chapter 21 and pretended to read it, waiting until a reasonable amount of time passed before turning each page.

* * *

**The remaining** twenty minutes of lunch seemed to drag on for all three of them, Hojo eating silently, Kagome wondering what on Earth she was going to do about her 'friends,' and Kenichi pretending to read the boring textbook.

Hojo stood barely two minutes before the bell was scheduled to ring and smiled down at Kagome. "I'm going to head off to class now, Kagome. I'll see you tomorrow! Have a great day!"

"Ok, you, too, Hojo. Bye!" After Hojo had run off, Kagome began digging aimlessly into her backpack for something to do.

She didn't have to stall long, because a few moments later, she heard the textbook snap shut. A shuffling sound followed, and then Kenichi Ookami was kneeling in front of her, holding out the book. He grinned at her as she took it.

"Thanks again, Kagome. Guess I'll see you in class?"

Kagome smiled and put it back in her bag. "Yup. Did you get it all read?"

"Yeah, I got it." Then the bell rang and he stood, brushing the grass remnants off of his knees and held out a hand. "Can I help you up?"

"Thanks," She said, accepting his offer and placing her hand in his. He pulled lightly and she was standing. With a final wave, he strode off towards the main building casually. She shook her head, and followed after her classmate.

* * *

**School was** over and Kenichi hopped on his brand-new motorcycle, speeding off towards his home. It took barely ten minutes, as he hit mostly green lights. When he got home, he flipped off the bike and snatched his backpack before walking inside and kicking the door shut.

No sooner was the door shut than his youngest sister came barreling down the wide, elaborate staircase. "Keni!"

He rolled his eyes at her way of shortening his name. "Hey 'Tsuna, how was school?"

"Great! We played hide-and-go-seek for recess!" Setsuna Ookami declared as she hugged her older brother's knees tightly. Then she pulled back, grabbed his backpack, and said, "I'll take this upstairs for you, Keni. Ma wants to talk to you; she's outside by the pool, I think."

He smirked and ruffled her hair. "Cool, thanks 'Tsuna. Don't drop it, ok?"

"Ok!" She said, before turning and sprinting back upstairs energetically. Kenichi shook his head and made his way through the large house, walking out the back sliding glass doors. He saw his mother laying on her lounge chair beside the pool, a book in hand. She looked up when he stepped outside.

* * *

**"'Tsuna said **you wanted to see me?" Kenichi stated, pulling out one of the pool-side chairs and sitting down.

Ayame nodded and put her book down. "Yes, your father wants to know if you saw Kagome today?"

"As a matter of fact, I spent half of lunch with her." When his mother raised an eyebrow curiously, he elaborated. "Hojo-the-Great came up to her and started eating with her, then her friends ditched so that they could have 'alone time,' so I pretended I hadn't read the homework, and didn't have the book with me. And borrowed hers."

Ayame barked out a laugh before clapping a hand over her mouth. "Well, I suppose that works."

Kenichi grinned. "Yeah, I thought so." He paused when he heard the front door open again. A moment later, his father walked through the door. "Hey, Dad."

"You're home early, Kouga." Ayame said, standing and meeting him half-way with a kiss. Kenichi pretended to gag and looked away.

"Well, Mom can tell you all about my day; I've got homework." And then he excused himself before he really did start gagging.

* * *

**Kagome and** the girls were rounding the corner where she'd been nearly mugged a few days prior when Yuka and Eri stopped dead in their tracks. Kagome, who'd been slightly behind them, ran into Eri's back. "Ow, Eri, what gives?"

"You tell us," Eri whispered as she and Yuka stepped apart so that she could see why they'd stopped.

Leaning casually against the wall of the building was none other than Inuyasha himself. He looked over at them and pushed away from the wall, shoving his hands into his pockets.

Kagome paused, surprised, then smiled at him. "Hi, what's up?"

He shrugged. "Not much. I got kinda bored, so I thought I'd catch up with you an' make sure no one else tried stealin' your backpack."

Kagome laughed. "Wow, that's so kind of you. You can come if you want, I suppose."

Inuyasha smirked and gestured for her to walk ahead of him. He fell into step behind her and the girls followed silently.

_**To Be Continued…**_

_**A/N:**_ Ok, so I realize it might be a bit shorter, but hopefully that's ok. Let me know what you think so far! And I promise I'll update again soon, no more multiple-weeks of slacking!!


	6. Chapter 5

_**A/N:**_ Here's chapter five! I do hope you enjoy it!

**Disclaimer:** I still don't own Inuyasha. It's very sad, but it's true. I _**do**_, however, own the characters you don't recognize.

**Unnatural Amnesia**

**Chapter Five:**

**They arrived **at Kagome's family shrine a few minutes later, and paused, looking up at the steps that led to the shrine. And just as Kagome was wondering what was going to happen next, she heard Yuka draw in a breath and felt every muscle in her body tense at whatever her friend had just thought of.

"Hey, Kagome, I just remembered!"

"Remembered what?"

"I heard rumor you lent Ookami your textbook at lunch today."

"Yeah, what happened to Hojo?" Eri added instantly.

Kagome sighed. _I should've known they'd hear about that. Very subtle, girls. Really._ "Yeah, he said he hadn't read the chapter yet, and forgot the book at home. And Hojo was there the whole time, what's your point?"

Both girls gave her a look, staying silent for a beat, before Yuka finally shook her head in surrender. "Nothing, Kagome. Never mind. Are you going to introduce us or what?"

"Oh!" Kagome's eyes widened as she realized that she hadn't done the introductions. "I'm sorry, I can't believe I forgot! Girls, this is Inuyasha. Inuyasha, my friends, Yuka, Eri, and Ayumi."

Ayumi bowed politely, saying, "It's a pleasure to meet you, Inuyasha."

"Hi," Yuka and Eri chorused.

Inuyasha smirked and inclined his head slightly. "Nice meetin' you."

* * *

**Souta had** been helping Gramps with the shrine duties that day after school when he heard voices coming from the stairs. "Be right back, Gramps!" he called as he sprinted towards them.

When he got to the head of the stairs, he cupped his hands over his mouth and shouted down, "Hey, Sis!"

Kagome turned around and looked up, surprised to see her younger brother standing there. "What?"

"You want to help me help Gramps with the shrine? I've got homework and stuff I have to do!"

"And I don't? It's your day to help Gramps, you know that!"

"Yeah, but I promised Hitomi I'd come over for dinner!"

"Hitomi?" Yuka asked curiously. Inuyasha did his best to suppress the grin at the memories that suddenly rose up.

Kagome slid a look at her friends and whispered, "His girlfriend. They've been together for almost the entire year now." Then, back to her brother, she hollered, "I'll be up in a few minutes; next time, don't promise to be somewhere when you can't make it!"

"Thanks, Sis! See ya later, girls! Good to see you again, Inuyasha!" And then the young boy ran off.

* * *

**"Your little** brother has a steady girlfriend? Kagome, please tell me that's a joke." Yuka demanded the moment Souta was out of ear-shot.

Kagome shook her head. "No, it's true. It's kind of cute, in a disturbing way. They're all…serious and stuff."

"Serious how?"

"Yuka! He's just a little kid, stop thinking like that!"

"Kagome, I don't know how to point this out to you, but he's not so 'little' anymore. He's in the eighth grade; he's fourteen, not four. Plenty of fourteen year olds are serious-serious these days."

Kagome paled and waved her hands in front of her defensively. "Dear God, Yuka, don't say things like that! Oh, that's just…no. Can we change the subject now?"

Yuka chuckled. "Yeah, sure. Anyway, speaking of homework, I've got a ton, so I'll see you girls tomorrow?" She paused, and they said varying versions of 'sure' and she added, "It was nice meeting you, Inuyasha!" as she ran off.

"I have to run, too. See you later!" Eri said, running off after Yuka. Ayumi, too, had to go and soon it was just Kagome and Inuyasha.

Kagome smiled up at him. "Hope you don't regret walking with us; my friends are a little bit odd, but they're nice."

He grinned. "Nah, it was fun. I have to admit, though, my reasons for walking with you aren't entirely selfless."

"Oh?"

* * *

**Inuyasha took** a deep, subtle breath before elaborating. _Here goes._ "See, there's this company dinner-thing coming up tomorrow night, and we're supposed to bring 'dates,' only problem is, I don't exactly have too many options on that front. So I was wondering if you'd be willing to come with me? Dinner'd be free, of course."

"Tomorrow night? What time would I have to be there?" _I can't believe I'm even considering this; I don't know him __**that**__ well!_

"I'd be picking you up around 7:30; if you decide to go." He paused, sensing her hesitation, and extracted one of his hands from his pocket. In it was a business card. "You don't have to decide now, I realize it's short notice. And I swear I won't be upset or offended if you decide not to. Take this, it's got my cell and house numbers. On the off-chance I don't answer, leave a message."

Kagome reached out and took the card, looking at it briefly before smiling up at him. "Ok, I'll talk to my mom about it. And I'll call you sometime this evening; probably after dinner."

"Works for me. See you around, Kagome."

"Bye," she said as he turned and started walking casually away from the shrine.

_What in the world did I just practically agree to? I don't know this guy that well; even if he is somewhat famous. I need to talk to Mom about this._ Then she turned and slowly began climbing the mountain of stairs leading to her home.

* * *

**Later that** night, Kagome extracted Inuyasha's business card from her skirt pocket and stared at it, mentally preparing herself to bring up the conversation, when her mother beat her to it.

"What's that you've got, Kagome?"

"Hmm? Oh, this is Inuyasha's business card."

"Really? He gave you his number, did he? Did you see him again today?"

Kagome blushed slightly and sat down beside her on the couch. "Yeah, and he asked me if I'd be willing to go to dinner with him tomorrow night. It's some company thing, I think."

Mrs. Higurashi smiled and placed her hand on top of Kagome's free one. "I think that's a great idea. You'd have fun, don't you think?"

Slowly, Kagome nodded her agreement. "Yeah, I do. It just…it seems odd, you know? I've only talked to him once, really, and he's offering to take me to a company dinner?"

Her mother's smile grew. "Maybe he's a good judge of character. Sometimes people operate on instincts, dear. What are yours saying?"

Kagome paused, trying to define her feelings. Finally, she said, "I know I trust him. And I do kinda like him, but it just…it seems weird to me that I could like him so soon. Am I wrong?"

Shaking her head, Mrs. Higurashi replied, "No, Kagome. You're not wrong. You don't have a lot of experience in romantic relationships, and your feelings are making you nervous. But you'll never know if you don't take a few risks now and then, don't you agree?"

"Yeah, I do. So you think I should go?"

"If you want to."

Kagome smiled at her mother and gave her a quick hug. "Thanks, Mom, you're the best! I'm gonna go call him now, before it gets too late!"

* * *

**Inuyasha had** just stood up from his brother's overstuffed sofa when his cell phone began buzzing violently in his back pocket. Grumbling under his breath, he reached in and yanked out the device, not pausing to check the Caller ID first. "Yeah?"

"Um, hi, Inuyasha? This is Kagome Higurashi."

Inuyasha sat slowly down and shut his eyes, knowing full-well that multiple pairs of eyes were now trained on him, as they could undoubtedly hear her as well as he could. "Hey, Kagome. I take it you've decided?"

"Yeah. I can go, if you still want to take me…"

He couldn't stop the grin that spread quickly across his face. "Great. So I'll see you at 7:30, then?"

"Sure. Um, what should I wear? Is it really fancy or something?"

"Yeah, it's fancy. They're making me wear a suit, so a dress of some sort, I imagine."

"Hmm, ok. I'll find something. I'll see you tomorrow, then. Good night, Inuyasha."

"'Night, Kagome." He didn't hang up until he heard her end click, signaling that she was gone. Then he flipped his phone shut and forced himself to brave his brother and surrogate son. And nephews.

Sesshoumaru had raised one dark eyebrow in silent question.

"What did you do?" Shippo asked bluntly.

"I believe he invited Kagome to the annual company dinner tomorrow night. Am I correct?" Sesshoumaru stated confidently.

"Yeah, and she's agreed to come."

"Well, that's a heck've a step, Unc. Nice work." Ryu said from his spot on the other couch beside his mate, Narya.

Inuyasha's eyebrow twitched and Ryu laughed. "Yeah, whatever, I'm goin' home. Catch you dumbasses tomorrow." And with that, Inuyasha let himself out.

* * *

**Kagome was** quiet through most of school the next day, her mind racing with the possibilities of that night. _I'm going to a dinner with Inuyasha Taisho tonight! How in the world did that happen?_

"Hello? Earth to Kagome?" Yuka declared, waving her hands in front of Kagome's face as they walked towards the shrine again.

"Maybe she's upset 'cause the hot guy, what's-his-face, isn't here today?" Eri suggested, laughing lightly.

"Huh? Knock it off! His name's Inuyasha, and no, I'm not upset. Look, girls, I have some things to do today, so I have to get home early. Sorry!" She said, bolting away from her friends, towards the stairs. They stared after her in silence, wondering what had happened to her that day. Finally shaking it off, they headed towards the nearest WacDonald's instead.

* * *

**"There you** are, dear." Mrs. Higurashi said as Kagome burst into the house. She smiled to herself as her eighteen year old daughter rushed past, dropping her backpack in the hall and bolting upstairs to change out of her school uniform.

"Be down in a sec, Mom!" Kagome hollered over her shoulder before her bedroom door slammed shut. Mrs. Higurashi chuckled quietly and untied the apron she'd been wearing.

Barely five minutes later, Kagome came back downstairs, at a more normal pace. "Ok, I'm ready."

"Well, then let's go. I'm sure we'll find you the perfect dress."

Kagome smiled as she stepped into her sandals. "Thanks, Mom."

* * *

**Kagome and **her mother stood in front of the last decent, fairly priced, clothing store in the city, and Kagome sighed. "I will be so totally bummed if I can't find anything half-decent that isn't outrageously priced in this entire city!"

"I would be surprised if we don't find anything, Kagome. Come on, you'll never know if you don't go inside."

Kagome raised an eyebrow at her mother as they walked through the automatic doors. "How do you do that?"

"Do what, Dear?"

"Find a way to be so optimistic, even when we've been failing miserably all afternoon?"

Mrs. Higurashi laughed and put an arm around Kagome's waist lightly in a half-hug. "Oh, I suppose it's just one of those 'mom things' that I've picked up over the years. You'll understand someday, I'm sure."

Kagome rolled her eyes dramatically. "Right, of course. So, you take the left and I'll take the right?"

"Let's get to it," Her mother said with equal drama in her voice. Laughing, they split up and began investigating the dresses.

Kagome was sifting through the second of four racks on her side of the store when she came across a nice-looking dress in her size. Pulling it out, she examined it closely, realizing that it was actually midnight-blue, and not black. It was simple enough, with a gently scooped neck and billowy, split sleeves that were designed to hang half-way to her elbows. The body was made for a comfortable fit, and the skirt, like the sleeves, billowed out from the hips. It reached down to her ankles, and the dress came with a simple black sash for a belt. The dress had just enough shine on it to catch the light when angled properly. _I love it!_

"Mom!" Kagome called as she approached her mother, who was sifting diligently through the racks of dresses.

Mrs. Higurashi looked up and smiled when she saw her daughter holding a dress. "Did you find one?"

"Yeah, I really like this one; and it's in our price range!"

"Have you tried it on yet, just to be safe?"

"No, I wanted to get you first. You know, so you can tell me what you think."

"Alright, let's go get you a dressing room, then."

* * *

**Barely half**-an-hour later they were home, and Kagome was buzzing with her pent-up excitement. "I can't believe how excited I am! I don't even know where we're going, but I have this feeling the whole thing's going to be so much fun! And I absolutely _**love**_ this dress!"

Mrs. Higurashi laughed, a smile on her face. "I'm glad you like it, Dear."

"Like what?" Gramps asked as he came bustling through the front door, carrying their old broom.

"Her new dress."

"You bought a new dress? For this dinner thing tonight?"

"Yeah, it's a fancy dinner and I didn't have any fancy dresses."

"Well, what's it look like?"

"Now, now, Father, you can't spoil the surprise like that. You'll just have to wait until later to see it."

"Well, that doesn't seem fair," he muttered as he shuffled down the hall to put away the broom.

* * *

**At 7:25** Inuyasha pulled up to the Higurashi's driveway in his brand-new, cherry red Mustang. Climbing out, he clicked the button that locked it and tucked the keys into his suit pocket, wishing not for the first (or last) time that suits came with belt-loops big enough to stick swords through. Soon enough, he was standing at the front door. Forcing himself to relax a bit, he lifted his fist and knocked lightly.

He knew it was Mrs. Higurashi before she'd opened the door, and he smiled politely when she did. She returned it and ushered him inside as she said, "Good evening, Mr. Taisho, please, come in."

"You can call me Inuyasha, you know." He said as he stepped inside.

She smiled. "I'll try to remember that. Kagome should be down in a minute."

As she said this, Souta marched over to the foot of the stairs and hollered, "Hey, Sis, your date's here! Quit keeping him waiting!"

"Now, Souta, stop teasing your sister."

"Why? She teases me all the time."

"That's my job as your older sibling, twerp." Kagome said as she began her descent down the stairs. She was holding her new, black, high heels in her left hand while she used her right to hold some of her skirt off the ground, to avoid stepping on it. Looking over at Inuyasha, she smiled brightly. "Hi, sorry I'm running a bit behind."

He grinned, hoping he sounded casual when he spoke. "Nah, I'm a few minutes early." He paused, then added, "You look great." _Among other things, but I'll keep those thoughts to myself for now…this oughta be fun._

Her smile grew, and a faint blush stained her cheeks. "Thanks."

Mrs. Higurashi came up to her and gave her a big hug, careful not to smear her daughter's makeup, though she wasn't wearing much. "You have fun, sweetheart."

"Thanks, Mom. I'll see you later." As she spoke, she kissed her mother lightly on the cheek and bent down in the entryway to put her shoes on. A moment later, her shoes were securely strapped and she was ready to go. With a final wave to her family, Inuyasha held the door open for her and followed her out the door.

* * *

**Kagome couldn't** help but comment when she saw his car. "You drive a Mustang?"

He smirked at her as he held open the passenger door for her. "Yeah. One o' the better things to come out o' America these days."

Kagome laughed. "Can't say I disagree. It's nice, though I admit I thought for sure your car would be black."

Inuyasha shut her door after she'd gotten in and walked quickly around to the driver's side. Sliding in, he said, "Nope, I've always been partial to red. My brother has enough black cars for the rest o' the family." Kagome laughed again as Inuyasha backed out of the driveway and turned towards the restaurant.

"Thanks again for coming, Kagome." He said after a few minutes of comfortable silence. She shifted slightly in the leather seat, looking over at him.

"You're welcome." She paused then, looking away before adding, "I am curious, though. Why'd you invite me? It's not like we've known each other very long, or anything. I'm sure you could've found someone else to go with."

He made sure to keep his eyes on the road ahead of them as he responded. "I invited you 'cause I like you. You're a kind person, and there's just…something about you that, I dunno, I just know I can trust you. Believe it or not, there are some girls out there who would say yes for superficial reasons, like money, for example."

Kagome blushed brightly, hoping he wouldn't notice in the dim light. "Wow, that's so sweet of you…thank you. And I promise I'm not coming just because I'm expecting something; which I'm not, honest."

He grinned this time, risking a side-ways glance at her as he said, "Oh, I believe you. Tell me, Kagome, have you ever been to Lunar Promise?"

Kagome gasped then. Lunar Promise was the most expensive restaurant in all of Tokyo; there were only three of them in the entire country. "Lunar Promise? Is that where we're going?"

He chuckled then, and when he smirked, she would've sworn that she saw a glint of fang, or a really sharp tooth. But she brushed it off as a trick of the rather horrible lighting, and quickly forgot all about it. "I'll take that as a 'no'?"

"Yeah, or, no, I guess. I've never been to Lunar Promise."

"Well, after tonight, you'll know what all the fuss is about. And if you know anyone who's always wanted to go, but never been able to, you can rub it in as much as you like. Not that you're the type of person who'd do that, I imagine."

Kagome grinned slightly, relaxing into the seat. "Oh, I don't know, maybe I might just a little. It'd be so fun to see my friend's expressions if I told them…you know, right before they killed me."

"Well, we can't have that. Should I send you to school with a bodyguard tomorrow?" _You know, other than Kouga's pup? Keh, she'll ring my neck if she ever learns that detail…well, she would've, at least, before all this crap._

"That might become necessary," Kagome joked, laughing softly as she watched the city lights zip by.

* * *

**"So, I'm **gonna give you a bit of a brief on who all's gonna be there, just so you know. You ready for this?" Inuyasha said a few minutes later as they neared their destination.

"As ready as I'll ever be, I suppose. Hit me." Kagome replied, watching as he shifted into the slow lane.

"First, obviously, my brother Sesshoumaru and his wife, Rin, will be there. You'll probably like her. Then my nephew, Ryu, who's also working in the business, and his wife, Narya. They're newlyweds, so forgive 'em if they act like it." He paused while she chuckled at his words, then continued. "Now, the point of this dinner is to talk 'business' with our competition, so the heads o' the other two main hotel chains are gonna be there. Genki and Akiko Nakamura, their Vice President Takao Kinomoto and his wife, Ai. They represent NakaNights, obviously. Damn stupid name, if you ask me. Anyway, the other hotel, All-Day Holiday, is represented by both partners and their wives. Kenichi and Mai Sasaki and Takeshi and Serena Sasaki. The Sasaki's are a bunch of pains-in-the-asses, but they should leave you alone." _They better._ "Think you can handle it?"

Kagome nodded, smiling over at him. "I think so."

"Good, 'cause we're here." He said as he turned into the large parking lot, complete with valet parking.

_**To Be Continued…**_

_**A/N:**_ So, next chapter, the dinner! Are you excited? (If you're not, could you maybe pretend to be? Lol). Hope you're enjoying it so far, and for those of you who might feel it's progressing too slowly, please bare with me! I'm doing this on purpose, I really do have a plan! (I think…) Don't forget to review!


	7. Chapter 6

_**A/N:**_ Chapter six is here, and it's dinner time! Lol, anyway, I do hope you enjoy this chapter! And, as always, if there's something OOC, please forgive me….

**Disclaimer:** Inuyasha has enough women attempting to claim him, he doesn't need to add me to the list. Besides, I'd be lying. He still belongs to Rumiko Takahashi.

**Unnatural Amnesia**

**Chapter Six:**

**Inuyasha bypassed** the valet parking section, opting instead to park his own car. Kagome was quiet as he searched for a decent parking spot, finally finding one only two rows from the restaurant. He parked perfectly on the first try and shut the engine off. Then he turned and grinned at her. "Last chance to back out."

Kagome smiled at him and she shook her head slightly. "Nope, not me. I don't like to quit. Besides, I promised to come with you. So here I am."

His grin broadened. "Alright, don't say I didn't warn you." Then he stepped out of the car and quickly shut his door, walking around to her side so that he could open her door for her.

Kagome allowed him to open her door, then stepped out as gracefully as she could in her new high heels and dress. He held out a hand to help steady her, and she smiled gratefully up at him. A few moments later, they were walking towards the restaurant, her arm looped loosely through his.

* * *

**The man** standing behind the podium looked up from his reservation book when they entered the lobby. He smiled politely as they approached. "Do you have reservations?"

"We're with the Taisho party," Inuyasha said as formally as he could. _All this formality drives me nuts. Good thing we only have one o' these a year._

The man flipped instantly to the proper page and said, "Inuyasha and Kagome?" Inuyasha nodded and the man grabbed two menus and escorted them into the dinning area of the restaurant.

* * *

**Kagome tried** not to stare at the elegance of the restaurant as they walked through it, amazed she was actually getting to eat dinner at the Lunar Promise. A few of the couples looked up as they walked past, but most simply ignored them and continued on with their private conversations. As they were escorted down a short corridor, they came to a more private, less crowded area. There were a good twenty, large tables scattered within, and only one of them was occupied. There were exactly four seats still open, separated in pairs by those already seated.

There were ten people already seated at the oversized table, obviously in sections. At the head of the table was a tall man with dark hair and slightly violet eyes, similar to Inuyasha's, and beside him to the left sat a petite woman with dark hair and brown eyes. To her left sat a younger man who looked a lot like both Inuyasha and the man Kagome presumed was his older brother, Sesshoumaru. Next to him sat a young woman with platinum blonde hair and sapphire blue eyes, undoubtedly the new Mrs. Taisho, Narya.

Seated next to Narya was a petite, blue-eyed, raven-haired woman and a broad-shouldered man with brown hair and eyes, and a slightly bald spot on the back of his head. Beside him sat a woman with long brown hair held up in a stylized bun and shinning brown eyes. The other two open seats were beside them, and in the seats after those seats sat a powerful-looking woman with critical brown eyes and jet-black hair and an average, black-haired, brown eyed man with small rectangular glasses perched on the edge of his nose. Between them and Sesshoumaru were the other two empty seats.

* * *

**Inuyasha led** her to the two seats between his brother and Kenichi Sasaki. Indulging his over-protective instincts slightly, he pulled out the seat beside Sesshoumaru for her, instead of the one beside Kenichi. She smiled gratefully and sat down, and he quickly did the same.

They waited a few minutes for the remaining Sasaki's to arrive before doing the introductions. As Kagome was the only one present who didn't know _**anyone**_ else, Inuyasha volunteered to do the introductions.

"Everyone, this is Kagome Higurashi. Kagome, my older brother, Sesshoumaru and his wife, Rin." He paused, allowing her to smile at them before continuing. "My nephew, Ryu and his wife, Narya." Another pause. "Akiko and Genki Nakamura, and their Vice President Takao Kinomoto, and his wife, Ai." Pause. "Serena and Takeshi Sasaki, and Mai and Kenichi Sasaki."

Almost immediately after he'd finished introductions, their waiter swooped over and took their orders; Inuyasha ordered for Kagome to save her from having to stare at the menu and worry about prices. Shortly thereafter, their drinks arrived, and the meeting truly began.

* * *

**"So, I **suppose congratulations are in order again, Sesshoumaru. Our accountants just confirmed that you've once again surpassed the rest of us." Genki began as he put down his glass of wine.

Mai dabbed her lips with her napkin after taking a small sip of her own wine before saying, "I predict next year will be different. You'll be thanking _**us**_ next year, Genki, darling."

Genki smiled kindly as he arranged his napkin on his lap. "Oh, we'll see about that, Mai."

"You don't have to be jealous, Genki. NakaNights is past its prime, I'm afraid."

"Mai, honey, don't be so rude." Kenichi scolded softly. His wife rolled her eyes.

"Facts are rude sometimes, darling."

"Rumor has it your clientele has decreased by 15 since our last dinner," Sesshoumaru stated calmly from across the table. Mai Sasaki's eyes locked onto his like an eagle honing in on its prey.

"Yes, unfortunately. But my brother and I have come up with an idea to regain that clientele." Takeshi added before Mai could respond.

"Have you? That should prove interesting."

Mai smiled a calculated smile. "Whatever your little secret is, Sesshoumaru, we're about to out-do it. You'll see."

"Keh, I seem to recall you sayin' that _**last**_ year. So far, your predictions ain't comin' true." Inuyasha put in, leaning back in his chair slightly.

Mai's sharp gaze locked onto his. "This year will be different, Inuyasha. Trust me."

"Congratulations on your promotion, Ai. I heard that you were made chief designer recently?" Rin stated, referring to Ai Kinomoto's fashion design career.

The petite woman smiled graciously at Rin's declaration. "Thank you, Rin. I'm very excited about it."

"She's doing wonderfully, though she won't brag for herself." Takao put in as his wife blushed and took a sip of her water.

"I've been meaning to come in and take a look at some of the new designs."

"So, Takao, I heard you recently won a lawsuit from one of your former clients?" Mai interrupted, sipping her wine again.

Takao sighed. "Yes, well, it was all a misunderstanding. But it's over now, and that's the important part."

"You realize it's bad for business when potential clients hear that you've been sued recently over something so petty?"

"Oh, we're not worried. Takao did nothing wrong, you see. And the potential clients who don't see that would probably be problem clients, which we certainly don't need." Genki stated, coming to his Vice President's rescue.

"That attitude won't help you achieve winning goals in this little 'competition.' We would never turn away potential clients; after all, the customer is always right. Isn't that the universal motto?"

"Though she's less delicate about it, Mai is right, Genki. You shouldn't be turning away clients, or involving yourselves in lawsuits with them. It is bad for business." Takeshi said plainly.

"It was a calculated risk, Takeshi. If we surrendered, then everyone would perceive us as guilty, when we aren't."

"So you say," Mai mumbled.

Inuyasha cast her a glance, frowning. _She's sure in a sour mood. What the Hell's her problem?_

* * *

**The waiters** arrived a few minutes later with their dinners, replacing the empty or nearly-empty drinks and disappearing once more. The conversation fell for roughly five minutes as everyone inspected their food and began eating it.

Akiko was the one to break the silence. "So, Kagome, how did you meet Inuyasha?"

Kagome looked up, surprised that she was being spoken to. "Oh, well, I was on my way home from school and some guy tried running off with my backpack, and Inuyasha chased him down for me."

"Really? How nice of you, Inuyasha."

"Keh," Inuyasha mumbled before taking a bite of his steak.

"You're a student, then? Where do you go to school?" Akiko continued, genuine curiosity evident in her voice.

Kagome chased down her final bite of steamed vegetables with a sip of her water and replied, "Tokyo High School. I'll be graduating in May."

"High school? So, are you eighteen yet?" Serena asked, joining the conversation. No one saw Inuyasha's eyebrow twitch.

Kagome looked over at Serena briefly and nodded. "Yeah, I'll be nineteen in a few months, actually."

"Where are you planning on going to college?"

"Um, well, I'm not really sure yet. I was thinking of staying home and helping with the family shrine."

"What, no plans of dominating the future workforce?" Mai said, in what was to pass as a joke.

Kagome shook her head. "I can't really see myself in a desk job. Maybe someday, but my gramps really wants me to take over the shrine."

"Family duties are important, and all that really matters is if it's what you want to do." Rin added, smiling at her friend who no longer remembered her.

Kagome nodded. "I agree."

"What matters is success. One can't live off of others' charity these days. You should do the smart thing while you're young enough to enjoy it later." Mai stated matter-of-factly.

"Mai, it's her life." Akiko said gently.

"And I'm giving her good advice. Pretending to be a priestess isn't going to get her anywhere. She's got to realize that at some point."

Inuyasha swallowed his final bite of steak and reached for his water. "Mai, you can give advice without being bitchy, or you can shut up about it. The choice is yours."

"What was that?"

He leveled his gaze on hers evenly. "You heard me. You wanna be full of yourself around us, that's fine. We've been dealin' with it for years. Leave Kagome out of it."

Mai glared over at Inuyasha as she set her wine glass down. "You're the one who decided to bring her. Isn't she a bit young for you anyway? Not even out of high school, really now."

"I believe it's time for a change of subject." Sesshoumaru said suddenly, gathering the focus of almost everyone at the table. Inuyasha leaned back and drained his water.

* * *

**The dinner** lasted another hour, until Sesshoumaru declared that it was late and time to go home. The Sasaki's were the first to leave, and soon it was just the Taisho's. Sesshoumaru stood, and everyone followed suit. Rin walked around to Kagome and took her hand good-naturedly. "It was wonderful meeting you tonight."

Kagome smiled. "Thank you, it was nice meeting you, too."

Inuyasha came up beside her and took her elbow gently. When she looked up, he said, "Guess it's time I get you home, right?"

"I guess."

Looking over to his brother, he said, "I'll see you bunch in the morning, then."

"Indeed," Sesshoumaru said plainly.

"Night, Unc." Ryu added. Inuyasha rolled his eyes and waved over his shoulder as he guided Kagome out of the restaurant.

* * *

**They walked** out silently, and he once again opened the car door for her. Then he walked around and slid in behind the wheel. As he stuck the key in the ignition, he said, "I hope that wasn't too bad for you."

Kagome smiled. "Nope. I have to say, though, I don't think I'm really fond of Mai."

"Keh, none of us are. I'm not even sure Kenichi is, but he's too afraid of her to do anything about it. Still, don't let her get to you, Kagome. There's nothing wrong with staying home and doing what you want to."

"Oh, I know. It's just embarrassing telling people that I'm probably not going to college, you know?"

"Yeah, I can see that." He kept the rest of his thoughts on that particular topic to himself as he backed out of the parking spot and began the journey back to the Higurashi Shrine.

* * *

**They were** quiet for roughly half of the drive, Inuyasha semi-focused on driving, and Kagome letting her mind wander as she watched the city lights pass by in a blur. Inuyasha's voice startled her, as it brought her out of her reverie.

"Should have you back just before 10:30; sorry it's so late."

"Oh, I don't mind."

"Good, wouldn't want you being mad or something."

Kagome laughed softly at his light-hearted joke. "No worries."

They lapsed into silence again for a few moments, until she said, "Thank you for inviting me."

"Keh, no big deal. I like your dress, by the way."

She blushed at the compliment. "Thanks. I just bought it today."

"You could've told me you'd have to go shopping; I'd have given you some money. No sense in spending your own money on a dress you wouldn't have bought if not for my offer."

"I wouldn't do that. I wanted a fancy dress, anyway. This was just a great excuse to go buy one."

He grinned at that, though he knew she couldn't see. "Well, then I'm glad I could help."

* * *

**It wasn't **long before they were pulling in to the Higurashi's driveway. Kagome thanked him again on reflex as she unbuckled her seat belt and reached for the door-handle. She heard Inuyasha's seat belt slide back and looked over at him just as he laid a gentle hand on her shoulder.

"Let me walk you to the door?"

Smiling, she sat back. "If you want to." No sooner were the words out of her mouth than he was out of the car and walking towards her door. A moment later, he pulled it open and she stepped out. After he shut her door, they walked side-by-side up to the small house.

They were standing in front of Kagome's destination sooner than Inuyasha had wanted, but he knew there was nothing he could do about it. Forcing a casual grin, he asked, "So, think I could convince you to keep my number? Or would you rather never see me again?"

Kagome laughed, her brown eyes shinning. "I think I might keep it, just in case. The real question is, would _**you**_ rather never see _**me**_ again?"

"Keh, don't be ridiculous."

"I'll take that as a compliment. Thanks again, Inuyasha. I had a good time."

He nodded. "Good. Sleep well, Kagome."

"You, too, Inuyasha. Bye." Then she smiled one more time before slipping inside the house gracefully, and shutting the door behind her.

* * *

**Inuyasha walked** back to his car while simultaneously undoing the bow-tie that was still clasped tight around his throat. "Damn, I hate these things…" He paused as he reached his Mustang and looked up at the second floor of the house wistfully. _One of these nights, Kagome, things'll be different. I don't know if you'll ever really remember me, but I'll learn to live with that. But no way in Hell will I give up on you; on us. Not even if it kills me…or when, depending on how things go…Good night, Kagome._ Then he got in his car before he tempted himself further and drove away, towards the place he was supposed to call home.

* * *

**Kagome slipped** into the living room undetected, but Buyo gave her away with a half-hearted yowl for attention. She sighed; knowing her family would grill her about the evening.

"You're back, Kagome! How was dinner?" Her mother asked from where she was sitting on the couch.

Souta looked up from his homework and put down his pencil. "Where'd ya go? Did he kiss you?"

"When's the wedding?" Gramps put in from his easy-chair, putting down the day-old newspaper.

"Dinner was great; we went to Lunar Promise, and let me just say, the food is delicious! No, we didn't kiss, and there is no wedding, Gramps. It was _**just**_ a dinner. A _**company**_ dinner, at that."

"For a company you don't work for; with a guy you haven't known very long." Souta corrected mischievously.

"Granted, but it was still a business dinner, and not a real date-type dinner."

"Oh, yeah, says the expert."

"What was that?"

"Calm down, you two. Souta, you should be doing your homework." Mrs. Higurashi paused as Souta caved and returned his focus to his school books. Then she looked back over at her daughter. "Did the dinner go ok?"

"Mhm. His sister-in-law is really sweet."

Mrs. Higurashi smiled. "And you had fun?"

Kagome shrugged. "Well, mostly we just sat there and talked and ate dinner. The heads of two other hotels were there; I liked most of them…"

Mrs. Higurashi chuckled. "Well, there're bound to be people you don't like in life, dear."

"Oh, I know. Anyway, I'm tired. I think I'll go take a shower and slip into bed. Good night."

* * *

**Wednesday morning,** Kagome rolled -literally- out of bed with a lazy thump. She slammed onto the carpet, wrapped thoroughly in her pink quilt. "Owww, my head," she moaned as she attempted to sit up. Groaning in frustration, she rolled around a bit, slowly untangling herself from the quilt. Finally free, she slapped her hand over the alarm clock, silencing its shrill and pulling herself to her feet.

It took her another ten minutes to get dressed and ready for school, and she came down the stairs just in time to watch her mother pull out two pieces of toast and slather some butter on them. Mrs. Higurashi looked up and smiled at her daughter. "Good morning, dear. Toast?"

Kagome smiled and snagged the two pieces from her mother's grasp. "Thanks, Mom. Did Souta leave for school already?"

"Just a few minutes ago."

"Ok, well, I'm off. See you when I get home."

"Have a good day, Kagome."

* * *

**Yuka, Eri,** and Ayumi were gathered just to the side of the main doors to the school when Kagome arrived. Ayumi saw her first and waved jovially.

"Ayumi, it's way too early in the morning to be so energetic," Kagome lectured lightly as she approached.

"Oh, no it's not. We get our test results from last week back today!"

Kagome paled. "We do? Are you sure?"

"Of course she is, she knows these things." Eri commented as she adjusted her backpack.

"Huh, well, I think I'll just go on home, then. No need to be handed proof that I totally bombed it."

"Uh-uh, Kagome!" Yuka and Eri said, snagging her elbows as she made to get away. Kagome sighed and pulled her arms free.

"I wasn't _**actually**_ going to go. Jeeze." At her words, the bell rang, and they begrudgingly headed off to first period.

* * *

**Lunch came** and went uneventfully, not even Hojo showed up to talk while they ate and talked about their test scores. Before they knew it, school was over again for the day, and the girls were on their way to the shrine to do some of their homework together.

They were spread out on Kagome's bedroom floor half-an-hour later when Souta stuck his head inside. "Hey, Sis, do you have a pencil I can borrow? Mine broke today."

"Hmm? Oh, yeah, sure. Hang on a sec," Kagome said, sliding off of her bed and shuffling through a drawer in her desk.

While he was waiting, Souta got curious. "So, have you heard from Inuyasha today?"

"Inuyasha? No, why would I have?" As she asked, she slid the drawer shut and turned towards him, spare pencil in hand. She never realized what he was about to say.

"Uh, because he took you to dinner last night, _**duh**_." Then he reached out and snatched the pencil out of her hand. "Thanks, Kagome!" and he was gone, just like that. Kagome stared, dumbfounded, at the closed door.

"Kagome, did that Inuyasha guy really take you out last night?" Yuka asked from behind her.

Forcing herself to turn around, she swallowed the lump in her throat and bit the proverbial bullet. "Umm, yeah. He did."

"_**What?!"**_ Yuka and Eri shrieked in unison. Kagome re-claimed her spot on her bed with a sigh.

"It was kind of a last-minute sort of thing. He needed someone to go with him; it was a company thing." She winced as she realized her slip-up. _Oh, boy, here goes. No way are we getting back to our homework now._

"A 'company thing?' That doesn't even make sense! What could he possibly do that requires him to go to a fancy, I'm assuming it was a fancy thing, company dinner?"

"Yes, it was a fancy thing. I even went out yesterday and bought a dress for it. It was at Lunar Promise." _Please let that distract them!_

"Lunar Promise?! You got to eat at Lunar Promise!?"

"Yep. The food's delicious, by the way."

Yuka scoffed. "Well, of course it is! Now quit trying to distract us! What does he do that's so important?"

Surrendering, Kagome replied, "He's the younger Taisho of Taisho Resorts." The girls gasped, and then the room descended into silence as they all sat up and stared at her as though she'd grown another head. She waited patiently, knowing full-well it wouldn't last.

"You mean he's _**the**_ Inuyasha Taisho, and you didn't tell us?! How could you not tell us that?!"

"Because I just, I don't know, I didn't-" She was interrupted with a knock on her door and Souta's head once again sticking inside.

"Sorry to bug you again, Sis, but there's a lady downstairs who wants to talk to you. She says she's got an offer for you or something."

"An offer?"

"Yeah, that's what she said."

"Alright, I'm coming."

* * *

**The girls** migrated downstairs a few moments later, Kagome in the lead. They followed curiously at a distance, stopping a few feet from the door. When Kagome saw who was standing there, she couldn't hide her surprise.

"Good afternoon, Kagome. Sorry to drop by without notice."

"Um, hi. It's ok, really. How can I help you, Mrs. Sasaki?"

Mai smiled diplomatically. "Please, call me Mai. Everyone does."

"Alright. How can I help you, Mai?"

"I simply couldn't get our little conversation from last night out of my head, and I'm absolutely certain that you can make something of yourself if you put just a little effort into it. Which is what I want to help you with."

Kagome hesitated, not sure she was hearing things properly. "What do you mean, exactly?"

Mai's smile tightened falsely as she replied, "I assume there's a financial reason behind your decision not to attend college, and am prepared to pay for your first two years tuition, provided you are a full-time student. I'll also offer you part-time employment at one of our hotels; whichever is nearest to your chosen school."

"Oh, wow, that's really generous of you, Mai, but money's not really my problem."

"Well, I can't imagine it's a matter of grades. Your choice of company last night notwithstanding, you seem like a very intelligent young woman."

Kagome took a deep breath, sensing where this was going, or what the point _**really**_ was, and preparing to deal with it as best she could. "Thank you, but the situation's a lot more complicated than you assume, and it's not one I'm comfortable sharing with people I've only just met. No offense, of course."

Mai paused, obviously considering something. Finally, she reached into her purse and dug out a business card. "Very well, I suppose. Give me a call if you change your mind, and we'll talk. Good luck, Ms. Higurashi. Oh, and do yourself a favor. Cut off your ties with Inuyasha Taisho, he's no good for a girl like you." And then the over-confident businesswoman strode away.

_**To Be Continued…**_

_**A/N:**_ So, what'd you think? I hope you liked it; let me know if you've got any questions, oh and please, please review!


	8. Chapter 7

_**A/N:**_ Chapter seven is here! This is going good, I think! But, it doesn't matter much what I think, so please enjoy!  
**Disclaimer:** If it hasn't become obvious by now, I _**do not **_own Inuyasha. Sheesh. I own only those characters you don't recognize from the anime/manga. 

**Unnatural Amnesia**

**Chapter Seven:**

**Kagome, Souta, **and the girls stared wordlessly for a few moments at the empty space which Mai had only recently occupied. After another long moment, Kagome stepped back and shut the door before turning around and facing the others.

"Um, Kagome, who was that?" Souta asked slowly.

"That was Mai Sasaki. I met her last night." She paused, crossing her arms over her chest. "But how did she figure out where I live? I never told her."

"She seemed kinda bitchy to me. Oh, sorry, Souta." Yuka stated bluntly.

Kagome nodded. "Yeah, I don't really like her. Hmm, hang on a sec," she cut herself off, digging into her skirt pocket and pulling out her cell phone. She flipped it open as she walked into the living room and sat down. The others followed and sat down as well, curious as to what she was doing.

"Uh, Sis, what're you doing?"

"Hush, I'm making a call."

"Well, that much is kind of obvious. To who?"

As she heard the other end pick up, she held her index finger up to her lips, signaling him to be quiet. "Kagome?" She heard. There was an obvious confusion in his voice.  
"Hey, Inuyasha. I'm sorry to bother you, do you have a free minute?"

"Yeah, sure. What's up?" She heard a slight shuffling sound and then, "Cram it, Shippo! I'm on the phone!" Another pause, then, "Sorry 'bout that, Kagome. What's wrong?"

"It's ok." Now it was her turn to pause, as she was unsure of how to say it. "Um, well, I just had a really odd visitor, and I was wondering if you could maybe shed some light on it for me?"

On the other end, Inuyasha sat up from his slouched position on the couch, suddenly worried. He'd opted not to follow her that day, as it was a normal school day and he had things he should do anyway. Now he was starting to regret that decision as his mind raced with thoughts of what could've happened to make her feel she should call him.  
"Strange visitor? 'Strange' how?" _Please not a demon; if some damn demon figured out who she is, and tried something…. I'll hunt him down and tear him apart if he's threatened her…._ Kagome's voice dragged him back to the present and forced him to focus.

"It was Mai Sasaki."

That simple sentence threw him completely off. He knew for a fact that the woman was not a demon, but why she'd go out of her way to talk to Kagome made no sense. "Mai? She showed up at the shrine?"

He could almost see her nod. "Yeah, completely out of the blue. How did she even find me?"

"Prob'ly looked up the address of the shrine and made the right assumption. What'd she want, did she say?"

"Yeah, she wanted to pay for me to go to college; and she offered me a job. She said she figured I wasn't going because I couldn't afford to, or something like that. Said as long as I worked and went to school full-time, she'd pay for all my school expenses."

Inuyasha slumped back into the couch, his eyebrows shooting all the way up his forehead. "She said _**what**_? Mai Sasaki? What was the catch?"

Kagome chuckled half-heartedly on the other end. "The catch? Well, she never came right out and said 'but I want you to do this for me in exchange,' but she made sure I knew that she doesn't like me associating with you."

"She doesn't like you associating with me? What, does she think I'm a bad influence or something?"

"I don't know, she just said, 'do yourself a favor and cut off all ties with Inuyasha Taisho. He's no good for a girl like you.' That was it. She must really not like you, or something."

Inuyasha sighed, dragging an exasperated hand over his face before replying, "Keh, yeah, she thinks I'm an asshole who uses women and tosses 'em aside. Can't tell you where the hell she got that idea, but then again, I never claimed to understand anything when it came to Mai Sasaki." He paused, hoping that hadn't come out wrong, and said, "So how'd you get rid of her? Did she choose your college, major, and future career for you?"

Kagome laughed from her end of the phone. "No, I told her that the situation was more complicated, and that I didn't want to talk about it, and she gave me her business card. Then she walked away."

"What? That was it? Are you sure it was really her, 'cause that ain't her style."

"Well, unless she was some sort of mutant-shapeshifter, it was her."

_Or a demon with an illusion cast over him to look like her, yeah._ "Yeah, I guess you're right. You should be proud, Kagome, you've officially out-maneuvered Mai Sasaki in a potential business acquisition. At least temporarily." He said the last with a chuckle, knowing that if it was really Mai, they hadn't heard the last of her.

"Well, thank you. I'll be sure to let you know if she comes back." She paused, then, and Inuyasha got the distinct feeling she wasn't done.

"Yeah?" He prodded lightly. A moment longer of hesitation, and then she replied.

"Well, what should I do about this? Do you think I should think about it? I mean, free tuition is free tuition."

"Yeah, but if you weren't planning on going, then it's free anyway. Ultimately, though, I think you should do what you most want to do." A pause, and then he added, "I know you don't think you could get in to a college now, even if you wanted to, but that's not true, Kagome. You could, it'd just be harder now. A lot of work, but it could be worth it if you really want it. The decision's yours, really. Mai's a witch, but if she makes you a promise, chances are she'll keep it."

"I know it's up to me, but truthfully, I just don't feel the need. Not now, anyway. And I'm sure you're right about Mai keeping her word, but I don't really want to make a deal with her, you know?"

"Keh, of course I do. Don't feel guilty over that, Kagome." A loud crash from the game room drew his attention and he sighed again.

"Is everything okay over there?" Kagome asked.

"Yeah, prob'ly my nephew just broke something. I better go check it out. Talk to ya later, Kagome."

"Ok, bye, then."

* * *

**Kagome hung** up and slipped her cell phone back into her skirt pocket reflexively. She looked up just in time to hear Yuka's voice.  
"So, you've got his number programmed into your phone, too?"

_Here we go again._ "Yes, I do. That way I don't have to worry about losing his business card, which we all know I would do."

"Kagome, the man's, what, twenty-eight? He's kind o' too old for you. Besides, what about Hojo?"

Kagome sighed. "He's twenty-_**five**_, and what about Hojo? We've gone to one movie; he hasn't asked me out since then, and frankly, I don't know if I'm even interested in going out with him!"

The girls gasped in surprise. "What do you mean you don't want to go out with him? Kagome, he's totally into you!"

Kagome stood, her temper flaring. "Well what if I'm not so 'totally into' him?! I like him, yes, but I don't think I like him _**like that**_! It's my prerogative, and I'd like it if you'd let me do what I want!"

"Jeez, Kagome, what's your problem? We're your friends, we only want what's best for you. And Inuyasha Taisho, I'm sorry, probably isn't it."

"Who said I thought he was? I never said I was falling for him! He's a _**friend**_, not my secret lover! Listen, ok, I'm sorry, but I'm not interested in dating Hojo. My only problem is that I don't know how to tell him, and you all keep pushing me into accepting dates, and making it that much harder for me find a decent, nice, way to tell him that."

"Ok, well, if that's how you feel, then obviously you should just turn him down next time," Ayumi put in naively.

"No, no, no! I have an idea. Kagome, we've only got a few weeks until school is out, right? And Hojo's going off to college in Osaka, so why don't you go on one or two more dates, just to test and see if you really don't want to be with him, or if maybe you're wrong about it. No harm, no foul, he'll understand. And that way, he'll feel as if he got a chance, and probably he'll just smile and say 'oh, that's too bad,' 'cause that's how he is." Eri suggested calmly.

Kagome was quiet a minute, taking deep breaths and thinking over her friend's suggestion. Finally, she said, "I don't know. I see your point, but I almost feel like I'd be using him. I'll think about it. But I'm absolutely not bringing the subject up; if he doesn't ask me out again, then I'll just let it go."

"Sounds fair to me."

"Yeah, ok, I'm sorry, Kagome. I know I've done a lot of pushing; I was just worried that you'd let something good slip by, you know?" Yuka offered.

Kagome nodded. "Yeah, I do. I'm sorry, too. I shouldn't have yelled."

"Well, now that that drama's over, do you think you could help me with my math homework, Sis?" Souta said from his spot on the couch.

* * *

**The rest** of the week, all two days of it, went quickly by. They were uneventful, and soon Kagome was working her Saturday morning shift at the shrine. She was dressed in the Higurashi Shrine's white and blue outfit and had just come back from sweeping off the front walk.  
"I'm done sweeping, Grandpa. What do you want me to do next?"

"Well, I've got a delivery to go pick up. It'll take about half an hour or forty-five minutes; your mother's driving me. Do you think you can run the store without me?"

"Yeah, sure. Have fun, Gramps. Oh, can you and Mom swing by the school-supplies store and buy me some more pencils? Souta took my last ones."

"I think so. We'll be back soon, take care of the store, Kagome." And a few minutes later, her mother and grandfather were gone. And since Souta was at soccer practice for another two hours, she was all alone.

As she walked behind the store and tried to look busy, she mumbled to herself, "Wow. Alone at the shrine, working the store. This is what I'm thinking I'll do with my life?" She paused, looking around at the empty front yard. Her gaze lingered on the Goshinboku, studying the centuries-old scar. Then her gaze found its way to the old well house, and again lingered before wandering off again. There wasn't a sign of life anywhere, except for Buyo, napping under the tree. And she wasn't sure he counted at the moment.

* * *

**She'd been** sitting behind the open counter for nearly ten minutes when her first customer appeared. He was a man of average height, well built though slightly on the lean side. He had dancing green eyes and auburn hair, closer to red than brown, and it was up in a short ponytail. He was wearing khaki shorts that went to his knees and a forest green T-shirt.  
He approached the counter casually, looking around curiously. It was obvious that he hadn't been there before. Finally he turned and smirked at her. "Hi, there."

"Hello, Sir. How can I help you?"

"Ah, well, I hear this rumor that this is the only place where I can buy Shikon Jewel key chains?"

Kagome smiled kindly with a slight nod. "You heard correctly. Do you have a color preference?"

His smirk broadened. "That depends, what colors do you have?"

"Pink, purple, pure white, and we just recently got a shiny black as well."

"Hmm. I don't suppose you know which is supposed to have been the true color of the real jewel?"

"Pink, I believe."

"Ah, well, my daughter wanted the 'authentic' one, so pink it is, please."

Kagome smiled again. "One pink Shikon key chain coming right up, Sir." Then she turned around and reached up, plucking one off of the wall behind her. She rang it up quickly and quoted the price. The man produced exact change a moment later, and she handed over the key chain. "Is there anything else I can interest you in?"

"Well, I don't really know, but I'm in a bit of a rush; I'm expected somewhere in a couple of minutes, and my father gets grumpy if I'm late. But thank you for this," He held up the key chain with a grin. "Have a good day, M'lady," he finished with an intentionally over-the-top bow.

"You, too, Sir." She called politely as the stranger walked away.

* * *

**Shippo grinned **to himself as he descended the steps of the Higurashi Shrine, twirling the Shikon key chain around his finger. _Oh, Inuyasha's gonna kill me. Especially if he ever hears about that 'father' comment._ It wasn't long before he'd returned to his convertible and was on his way to Sesshoumaru's for lunch.

He got there a few minutes later and pulled into the multi-car garage confidently. Then he made his way into the dining room, where Sesshoumaru, Rin, and Inuyasha were waiting. "Sorry I'm late, had a quick stop to make."

"An' here I thought you were staying here while you were in town." Inuyasha quipped from his seat.

He grinned. "Oh yeah. Well, I still had a quick stop to make." Then he took his seat, opposite the half-demon who'd practically raised him. He wasn't surprised when Sesshoumaru lifted one elegant eyebrow in question. And he was less surprised when both of Inuyasha's shot up and he leaned forward instantly.

"What the Hell'd you do, runt?"

His mischievous grin firmly in place, Shippo held up his right hand, in which dangled the brand-new pink key-chain. "I bought a souvenir for Anna. She said she wanted something unique."

"A _**Shikon key chain**_?! Dammit, Shippo!"

"What, I didn't do anything _**wrong**_, you know."

Inuyasha grumbled something rude under his breath but said nothing more on the topic.

* * *

**Kagome was **bored, as she had had only one customer for the past half-an-hour. Just as she was considering running inside for a glass of water, she saw someone else climb up the stairs and start walking towards her. This man had longer, darker hair and shaded eyes. His hands were shoved into his pockets and he walked straight towards the counter, not lingering or looking around. The hairs on the back of her neck suddenly shot up, and she realized suddenly that she had Goosebumps all over her arms. _I have a really bad feeling about this; please let Mom and Gramps get home soon._ Forcing herself to calm down and smile anyway, she was prepared to be polite and gracious. She was not prepared for what was about to happen.

The man didn't smile when he reached the counter. He locked his gaze solidly on hers and was quiet for a frightening moment, and then he said quietly, "Your name is Kagome Higurashi, yes?"

Kagome stared, unsure what to say at first, then collected herself and nodded slowly. "Yes, I am. Can I help you, Sir?"

The man snorted, almost as if he was offended and slammed his hands down, loudly, on the counter top. Kagome jumped, startled by the sudden, loud, noise. "Help me? That's a laugh. You wanna help? You can deliver a message to your newest little friend."

"M-my newest friend?"

"_**Don't play stupid!"**_ He yelled, leaning over the counter, until he was practically snarling in her face. She flinched and stepped backwards, trying to put distance between them.

"I'm sorry, I just don't know who you're talking about. Please take a step back from the counter, Sir."

The man growled -actually growled- at her, but didn't budge. "No. Now, if you're smart, you'll do as I say, when I say it. Tell Inuyasha Taisho that Tao is back in town, and I'm going to give him until _**exactly**_ noon tomorrow to give me my money, or I'll come back, and I _**will**_ kill you. Got that?"

Kagome felt her heart stop for a full minute as his words sunk in. She knew instinctively, though she wasn't sure where she'd acquired these instincts, that he meant every word exactly as he'd said them. She nodded, trying to steady her heart-rate.

"_**Answer me!"**_

"Y-yes! Yes, I understand. I'll tell him, I swear."

"Good. It's in your best interest. Otherwise, you'll be seeing me again." And then he turned and walked away.

* * *

**Kagome didn't **move again until the man was out of sight, and then she collapsed on the stool behind the counter that she'd been sitting on, sagging against the wall behind her. A few seconds later, she heard her mother's car pull into the driveway. _What should I do? I know I need to call Inuyasha, but should I tell Mom? Or should I make some excuse and leave early today? That man, whatever he was mad about, I don't doubt for a second that he'll come back. And something tells me I was supposed to assume that I'm not supposed to tell anyone else about this._ Making up her mind, she pulled herself to her feet and went in search of her mother and grandfather.

"Hello, Kagome, how's work been?"

"Have you been too busy?" They wanted to know. She shook her head.

"Nope, only had one customer. Actually, Gramps, I was hoping I could take the rest of the day off? I realized about ten minutes ago that I lent my notes to Ayumi, and I need to study them this weekend."

"Oh, well, I suppose, if it's for school."

"Go ahead, dear. I'll help Gramps cover the store if he needs me."

"Thanks, guys!" Kagome said, smiling as brightly as she could and bolting inside the house. Five minutes later, she was dressed in regular clothes and running towards the park. _Ok, so it's totally cliché, but I don't care. I'm not going to call him from the shrine, and it's a public park. Whether or not that actually means I'm any safer is another matter._

* * *

**It didn't** take her long to reach the park, and then she began walking slowly in search of an empty bench. Soon enough, she found one and quickly sat down. Then she pulled out her cell phone and, taking a deep breath, called Inuyasha. He answered half-way through the second ring.

"Yeah?"

"Hey, Inuyasha. Are you busy?"

"Only if you count obligatory family things. So not really. What's up?"

"Um, well, I had another strange visitor today at work."

"Really? Stranger than Mai?"

"Yeah, a lot stranger than Mai."

Inuyasha paused, and then he said, "Kagome, what's wrong? You sound upset."

"I-I've never seen this guy before, but he knew who I am, and he wants me to deliver a message to you."

"A message? What message?"

"He said, and I quote, 'Tell Inuyasha Taisho that Tao is back in town, and I'm going to give him until _**exactly**_ noon tomorrow to give me my money, or I'll come back, and I _**will**_ kill you.' That's what he said." Her voice wavered slightly when she was done, and she hoped he didn't pick up on it.

* * *

**Inuyasha nearly** growled into the phone when Kagome finished speaking. He heard her voice waver only slightly clearer than he could smell her fear, even from over the phone line. Forcing himself to be calm, at least vocally, he asked, "Where are you now, Kagome?"

"I'm at the park. I didn't tell my family; I didn't think that'd be smart. Who is that guy, Inuyasha? Why do you owe him money?"

"I don't, the damn bastard just hates my guts and wants to make my life as difficult as possible. But he's dangerous, Kagome. If you see him again, you need to run, fast and far, it doesn't matter which way, though you'd be better off to run to one of our hotels, they could keep you safe 'til I could get to you." He paused, drawing in a deep breath and standing. "Listen, stay where you are, alright? I'm coming to the park, I'll be there in a few minutes."

"Ok, I'll be here." He hung up then, and as he stuck his phone back in his pocket, he strode quickly through the house to the garage.

"Inuyasha?" Shippo asked when he saw Inuyasha walk by without acknowledging him.

"Not now, Shippo. Just tell Sesshoumaru that Tao's back in town, and this time, I'm gonna kill him."

"Tao?" Shippo repeated, but Inuyasha was already out the door. Shippo jumped up, then, and ran up the stairs to Sesshoumaru's room, where the dog demon was talking with his wife. "Sesshoumaru!"

"Enter, Shippo." He waited until the younger fox had entered and shut the door behind him, and then asked, "What is it?"

"Inuyasha just left; he said to tell you that Tao's back."

Sesshoumaru's eyebrows rose, not having been expecting that news.

"He also said to tell you that this time he's gonna kill him."

"That does not bode well."

"What could Tao have done to make Inuyasha so mad?" Rin asked.

The room was silent for a moment, then Sesshoumaru said, "Kagome. Tao discovered Kagome, and is trying to use her against Inuyasha."

"Oh, God, no wonder he was so pissed. This could get really bloody." Shippo stated, sagging onto Sesshoumaru's couch. "I hope Kagome's ok."

"Is there anything we can do?" Rin asked, sitting down on the edge of the bed. Sesshoumaru shook his head, sitting beside her.

"No, Rin. Not currently." The room fell into silence then, each wondering what was about to happen to further complicate their lives.

_**To Be Continued…**_  
_**A/N:**_ So, there's chapter seven! Hope you liked it, and yes, of course Tao will be better explained in future chapters. And I apologize if the format on this one comes out weird...FFN's doing something unusual, but I don't want to get behind on my postings. Don't forget to review!


	9. Chapter 8

_**A/N:**_ Chapter eight is here! Lol, I promise that there will be explanations in this chapter. (No promises on how many or how detailed; ) Please enjoy!  
**Disclaimer:** I do not have the pleasure of owning Inuyasha or anyone else in his universe. That pleasure belongs strictly to Rumiko Takahashi. Life is so unfair. 

**Unnatural Amnesia**

**Chapter Eight:**

**Kagome sat** on the bench after hanging up with Inuyasha, and wondered what she was going to do. _I've got this sinking feeling that, even if Inuyasha were to hand over whatever money is involved before noon tomorrow, I'll still end up seeing Tao again. And I don't think he'll be pleasant about it; I think he really will kill me if he gets the chance. But, why? I don't know him; it's not like I'm __**that**__ close to Inuyasha. It doesn't make sense. Why can't this all be just a freaky dream? I'll wake up in a few minutes and ask Souta to work my shift at the shrine; maybe I'll even study for my upcoming test. _

She was still sitting on the bench five minutes later when Inuyasha sat down next to her. She was so lost in her thoughts that she visibly jumped when he sat.

"Easy, it's me." He said gently, leaning into the corner slightly so that he could see her without craning his neck. He draped his right arm casually over the back of the bench.

Kagome took a deep breath to steady her racing heart and gave him a half-smile. "Sorry, I wasn't paying attention. You didn't have to come, you know."

Inuyasha managed to resist the urge to pull her against him and bury his nose in her hair, so instead he settled for a verbal reassurance. "Are you ok?"

She nodded, leaning back against the bench, looking skyward. "Yeah, I am. I'm just…scared. I've never had someone threaten to kill me before, and he looked so…serious." She paused then, looking over at him searchingly. "Do you think he could've meant it? Would he really kill me if you don't pay him what he wants?"

Inuyasha was silent a long moment, staring back into her brown eyes, wishing strongly that she had all her memories, so he could tell her the truth. The full truth. Finally, he nodded slowly. "If he said he would, then he meant it. He's unstable, Kagome. Violently unstable."

She dragged in a ragged breath, her eyes going wide. "But you said you don't actually owe him any money. And he never gave me an amount. He just said you had to pay him. How can you pay him, assuming you would, if you don't know _**what **_to pay him? Or how to get it to him?" Her mind was racing now, as her fear increased.

He could smell her fear; it was rolling off of her in waves, and it was starting to put him in a foul mood. He'd always hated when she was afraid, and now that Tao had involved her in their little feud, she wasn't safe. And she had no idea how to defend herself, either. Mentally cursing the world, he reached out and lightly placed his right hand on her shoulder, catching her attention again. "I know what he wants, Kagome. And the 'how' wouldn't be too hard to figure out. Don't panic, I promise I won't let him touch you."

"Y-you aren't worried?" Her eyes were searching again, looking for signs of hope; a signal that it would be ok. He did his best to give her one.

Shaking his head, he said, "No, I know how to get him the money and I know how much he wants. I'm not worried." _Except for the minor detail of what could happen if Tao figures out just how much she means to me. Then I'll have a reason to worry. If he doesn't know already._

"But, if you don't owe him anything, how do you know what he wants?"

"Because, we've been going through hoops for a few years now. You see, Tao used to work for the company. He was a part-time bell-hop, if you will. He was also putting himself through college, so he was always tight on money. Anyway, about three years ago, he decided that he'd earned more than we were paying him, and so he broke in to the cash registers just before closing and cleaned 'em out. Then he managed to hack into the hotel savings account, and he transferred a nice chunk o' change to his personal account. Of course, transactions like that get looked into pretty quick, so I made a visit to his apartment about a day later and discovered he'd cashed _**everything**_. Don't know how he'd done it, but apparently he likes to look at his money. I'd brought most of the local police with me, so they arrested him and confiscated the money. A few days later, all the money he'd taken was put back in the hotel's account, and then the account was switched, to try an' keep people like him out. He was hauled off to jail for a while, but he recently got released, and apparently he's already decided to get back 'his' money. He blamed me for his getting caught and arrested, so that's probably why he's targeting me through you." _Missing a few details…ok, a lot of details, but that's all she needs to know right now. I don't think she'd react well to 'Hey, Kagome, the guy who just threatened to kill you is a dangerous demon who probably wants to eat you. Oh, by the way, I'm a half-demon, that's how I know.' Yeah, right._

* * *

**Kagome was **quiet for a moment as her mind replayed Inuyasha's story. She didn't doubt that he'd given her the quick-and-ugly version, but it was really all she needed. "So, he's using me to force you to give him money that he's already tried to steal once before?"

Inuyasha nodded solemnly, watching her. "Yeah, pretty much. Look, I know you're upset and scared, and I completely understand that, but I promise everything'll be fine. Just keep your eyes open today, and tomorrow, just to be safe. I've got a few phone calls to make, but with a little luck, the bastard'll be back behind bars come tomorrow." _Or dead. Dead would be better._

Kagome gave a half-nod, but then hesitated, obviously still not quite sure about something. He reached over on impulse and tilted her chin up with his thumb and index finger.  
"Kagome?"

"I-I just…I got such a weird feeling from him. I don't think he'll stay away, Inuyasha. I know I don't know him, but this feeling won't leave me alone. I'm worried he'll come back, tonight, maybe, and…I don't know. I'm worried for my family, not just me. Will they be ok? Do you think he'll come back early?"

Inuyasha was quiet for another long moment. Sighing inwardly, he forced himself to release her chin and said, "It's possible. Especially if he's determined to use you. If he thinks I'll get him what he's asked for so far, then he could come back, and try to use you or your family to get more."

"I can't let him threaten them, they're not involved in any of this! Please, how do we stop him? Can we stop him before he comes back?" She paused, an idea obviously occurring to her, and she sucked in a sharp breath. "Oh, God, what if he shows up while I'm not home? I should go home, make sure they're ok-!"

As she made to stand up, obviously not thinking clearly, Inuyasha quickly reached out and snagged her wrist, pulling her down, onto the bench. "Inuya-!"

"Kagome, listen to me! I know you're worried about your family, and I understand. But trust me, right now, it would be stupid for you to run back home. And I highly doubt he'll show up again so soon. If you've got anything to worry about, it's tonight. Or early tomorrow. Right now, you and your family are as safe as you can be. Trust me." He fell silent then, hoping she would come back to her senses and listen to him.

Finally, after a long moment's hesitation, Kagome nodded. "You're right, I'm sorry." She paused, and he smelled the salt a moment before she sniffled. "Should I tell them? I can't just leave them in the dark like this…but at the same time, I don't want to scare them unnecessarily. I don't know what to do, Inuyasha." She said the last part so quietly, it was possible she didn't think he'd have heard it.

"They have a right to know, I agree. If you want to tell them, I'll come with you and help you through it. If you want to keep it a secret, that's your decision. You don't have to make it now, either. Think on it, you've got time. It's only just past noon."

Kagome nodded again, slouching and burying her face in her hands. "Thank you, Inuyasha. I will think about it." Her voice came out slightly mumbled, but he heard her clearly, and rested a hand on her back gently in silent support.

* * *

**They sat **there for a few minutes, a comfortable silence stretched between them. Finally, she sat up and half-smiled once more. "I think I'll go home, now. I'm going to avoid telling them about it if I can; there's no use worrying them. Will you let me know when it's over?"

He nodded sharply, only just realizing that he'd never removed his hand from her back. "Yeah, I will. C'mon, I'll give you a lift home."

"Thanks."

"But I want you to call me if you hear from him again, got that?"

"I was planning on it."

"Good. Now let's hope you don't hear from him again."

"Let's," she said softly, walking beside him until they reached his Mustang. He unlocked it and held the door open for her as she slipped inside. Moments later they were on their way to Higurashi Shrine once more.

* * *

**Inuyasha dropped** her off, and she promised to call him if something came up. Then she disappeared inside her house and he pulled out of the driveway a moment later, telling himself that she'd be alright. Then he dug out his cell phone and made a call.

"I hear Tao is back in town." Sesshoumaru said when he answered the phone.

"Yeah, that's the rumor. He paid Kagome a visit and promised to kill her tomorrow at noon if I haven't paid him his money by then. So of course she freaked out."

"Understandably. What did you tell her?"

"The money story. You know, he worked for us, stole some money, we took it back and got him arrested."

He could almost see his older brother nod. "I see. I assume you left out the bloodier details?"

"You assume correctly. Now I need to hunt that bastard down and take his damned head off."

"I've got men looking for him. So far they've found nothing."

"Damn. Tao must've hidden himself pretty well, then. No matter, I'll just swing by the shrine later and follow his scent trail."

"Unnecessary, I've already had that option explored."

"Let me guess, dead end?"

"You assume correctly."

"_**Dammit!"**_

"Are you on your way back?"

"Yeah, I should be there in five or six minutes."

"Very well, we'll be here."

* * *

**That evening,** they were no closer to locating Tao, and Inuyasha's patience was disappearing faster by the second. He was pacing the large room, clenching and unclenching his fists with each step. Sesshoumaru was leaning against the far wall, arms crossed. Rin was sitting on the couch. The double doors opened and Shippo walked in, Kirara by his side faithfully. A few moments later, Kouga, Ayame, and Kenichi followed, shutting the doors behind them.

"Well?" Inuyasha snapped, turning to face them.

Shippo shook his head as Kouga spoke up. "Nothin', Mutt. Couldn't find a damn trace of that bastard."

"That's impossible. He couldn't have just disappeared!"

"Did _**you**_ find anything?" Kouga argued as he sat down.

"So we try harder."

"Inuyasha, we've tried _**everything**_ we could think of. He might as well have just vanished." Shippo put in, sitting down and scratching Kirara's ears as she jumped up and curled into his lap. No one spoke for a minute, all wondering how the demon could've vanished so thoroughly. All hoping he wasn't hiding behind an undetectable barrier, like someone else they'd once known and hated.

* * *

**It was** then that Inuyasha's cell phone rang again. "Yeah?" He was proud of himself for not biting off the head of whomever had called, seeing as he hadn't looked at his caller ID first. After a second or two of silence, his expression went from grim frustration to surprised anger. Then, suddenly, he stalked over to the coffee table, where he'd thrown down his keys after his search, too, had ended in failure, and snatched them up. "I'm on my way. Won't take me ten minutes." Then he hung up.

"Was that Kagome?" Shippo asked bravely.

"Yeah. I'll call later." And he was gone. A moment later, they heard his Mustang start up and peel out. The room was silent for a long while.

* * *

**It took** him less than five minutes, which he figured was probably not overly smart, but he also didn't overly care, to arrive at the shrine. He quickly climbed out of his car, and as soon as he did, he could smell the stench of Tao. The demon had obviously been there recently; not that he didn't already know that. Pausing long enough to inhale deeply, he was half reassured, and half frustrated to discover that Tao was no longer there. One very reassuring thing, though: he smelled no trace of expended demonic energy, or human blood. Shaking himself, he jogged to the front door and knocked loudly. It was all he could to do to keep himself from just barging in, like he used to oh-so-many years ago.

Kagome slid the door open almost immediately, and she gave him a small, appreciative smile as she stepped aside to let him in. "Thanks for coming, Inuyasha."

He stepped inside quickly, taking another deep breath before replying. "No problem. Where's your family?"

"They're in the living room. I haven't told them anything yet; I figured it'd be easiest to tell them all at once."

He nodded, understanding her logic. She took this as a sign to head into the living room, which was just down the hall, and began walking. She got about two feet away when she felt Inuyasha grasp her elbow firmly. She turned, confused, and met his gaze. "Inuyasha?"

"First, I want you to tell me what happened."

Kagome hesitated, but finally relented. "Ok." She paused, and he released her elbow and crossed his arms. She dragged in another breath and began. "Tao showed up about ten minutes ago; five minutes before I called you. He told me that he knew you were looking for him, and wasn't going to let you catch him without a final laugh. When I asked what he meant, he said I'd find out later, when he made me watch…made me watch him kill them." She looked away, and he smelled worry and fear and salt water. And hesitation.

"What else, Kagome? What else did he say?"

She sighed, leaning against the hallway wall and wrapping her arms around herself. She stared at the floor, and when she spoke, her voice was faint. "He said, 'after I'm done slaughtering your family, I'll play with you for a few hours. And when I've had my way with you, I'll chop off your head and carve out your heart.'…What kind of person makes threats like that?"

Inuyasha couldn't completely suppress the growl that rose in his chest, but he ignored it, walking up to her and grabbing her shoulders, causing her to look up at him. His expression was serious when he spoke. "Don't let him scare you, Kagome. He _**won't**_ get to you, or your family. I swear it."

She watched his eyes intently for a beat, studying his courage and using it to help her control her emotions. Then she nodded, and the tears which had threatened to spill were gone. "Thank you, Inuyasha."

"You're welcome. Now let's go talk to your family."

* * *

**Ten minutes** later, Kagome's family was completely up-to-date. Or, rather, as up-to-date as Kagome was. Souta was clinging to their grandfather, whose mouth was still hanging partially open as he tried to understand exactly why this was happening. Mrs. Higurashi had her hand over her mouth, tears in her eyes. After a moment, she patted the empty seat beside her, forcing a calm smile. "Kagome, come here, dear."

Kagome stood and came over, collapsing beside her mother and allowing her to engulf her in a hug. "Oh, Sweetheart, I'm so sorry you had to deal with that all by yourself. You can always come to me, dear, I want you to know that."

"I know, Mom, I know." Kagome mumbled, returning her mother's hug.

Inuyasha watched from his spot against the wall, wishing once again that things were as they should be. Then the entire situation would be easier. He could just spend the night at the foot of Kagome's bed, as he'd done any number of times in the past, and he'd be more than ready when Tao arrived. Not to mention, Kagome would be right behind him with a quiver of arrows, ready and able to help take down the demon. _But now she has no idea that she's one of a handful of priestesses with true spiritual powers left in the world; let alone that she could well be the strongest. They have no idea that demons exist; no idea that all I need is two minutes alone with this bastard. One Wind Scar, or maybe an Adamant Barrage, just to be sure. That's all it'd take. But I have to be more careful about it now. Damn it all._

* * *

**Mrs. Higurashi** looked up a moment later and met Inuyasha's gaze. "Thank you, for being here for my daughter through this."

"Keh, it wouldn't be happening if not for me, anyway. I'm doing what I can to make up for that."

Mrs. Higurashi smiled sweetly at him. "I don't blame you for this. You have no control over people like him."

"Yeah, I know. But it's still my responsibility, and I intend to do everything in my power to protect your family."

"And for that, I thank you."

"Are we gonna be ok? How are you gonna find this guy?" Souta asked from his position beside his grandfather.

Inuyasha switched his gaze briefly over to the young boy, who was growing well, though he still had no tolerance for scary things. Then he looked back to Kagome and her mother as he replied, "We're working on finding him now, but he's hidden himself well, and I'm not sure we'll be able to find him before tomorrow."

"But you and Kagome said he'd come back tonight!"

"That…that does sound like a problem." Grandpa Higurashi put in.

"Inuyasha, what if you stayed here? I mean, would you mind? If he's going to come back, then surely that would work. Right?" Kagome asked hesitantly, not sure how the others would receive that suggestion.

"I'd be willing to, but it's your home, so it's your decision." _Meaning you don't have say 'yes,' 'cause I'll sleep in the damned tree if I have to. Not that I'd sleep._

"That sounds like an excellent idea to me. It would certainly put our hearts at ease. Are you sure you wouldn't mind?"

"Not at all. I can crash on the couch when you decide to turn in. Only problem I see is if I leave my car here, he'll see it. But I've got no problem moving it and walkin' back."

"Where would you leave it, though?" Kagome asked.

He shrugged non-chalantly. "Don't know, but it doesn't matter. I'll go do that now, so that I'll be back in plenty o' time to keep watch."

"Ok, then why don't you do that, if you don't mind?" Mrs. Higurashi stated.

"Alright, then I'll be back in a few." With that said, he pushed off of the wall and started towards the hall that led to the front door. A minute later, they heard his car come to life and drive away. No one said anything for a while, letting the events of the day sink in.

* * *

**Inuyasha sped **off down the street, turned a corner and took a side street that led to a couple of private driveways. Finding a section of road with large bushes and lots of trees, he pulled around and managed to fit the Mustang behind them, barely. Then he turned off the car and pulled out his phone. Sesshoumaru answered on the first ring.

"Inuyasha?"

"Yeah, listen, I'm stayin' at the shrine tonight. I've parked my car on a side-street, behind some brush. Just wanted to let you know where I'll be."

"What was the disaster?"

"Tao made a more detailed threat, that's what. I'll give you the details tomorrow. Maybe by then he'll be dead."

"I'll send someone to keep an eye on the house, to provide backup should you need it."

"No, he's as demon as we are, he'll smell a scent that doesn't belong and disappear again. I can deal."

"Very well. Good luck, then, little brother."

"Yeah, yeah. Call if somethin' important pops up." Then he hung up and stepped out of his car. And then he disappeared into the foliage, choosing to use the trees instead of walking.

* * *

**He let** himself in when he got back, deciding that they wouldn't mind if he forgot to knock. They were gathered in the kitchen, and Mrs. Higurashi was digging through the fridge. He pulled out the open chair beside Kagome and sat down soundlessly. She smiled over at him, but he could easily see through her façade. "Mom's making dessert. All she's saying is that it's something chocolatey."

Inuyasha grinned. "Really? Sounds good to me."

"So, Inuyasha, how come you stay in the hotel business if it's so dangerous?" Souta asked, leaning on the table.

"It ain't usually so dangerous. Sometimes people are crazy, that's all." He paused, smirking at the boy. "Besides, danger can be fun. Why do you think I'm head of security?"

Kagome lightly smacked his arm, saying, "You're giving Souta the wrong impression. You don't actually _**like**_ the death threats, do you?"

"'Course not. When they're only directed at me, and I know the guys givin' 'em are nothing but dreamers, then sometimes it's funny. But situations like this just piss me off."

"Does this sort of thing happen often? I mean, do people threaten you or someone you know very often?" Souta asked curiously.

Inuyasha shook his head. "No, not really. It's happened before, sure, but it could be a hell of a lot worse."

"Still, I'd rather not have a job where people are gonna threaten to kill me."

"That's not a bad dream, kid."

"Hey! I'm not a kid, thank you very much! I'm fourteen years old!"

"Now, now, no yelling at the table. Who's in the mood for chocolate?" Mrs. Higurashi teased, turning around with a big, chocolate, dessert. They all dug in as soon as their portions were served, delighting in the small distraction.

_**To Be Continued…**_  
_**A/N:**_ Ok, so I know that was an odd ending, but I hope it wasn't too bad for people. That said, please review and come back for the next chapter!


	10. Chapter 9

_**A/N:**_ Chapter nine! Ok, so things are going to get much more interesting here, I promise. Thanks to all those who've stuck with me so far! And, as always, please enjoy!

**Disclaimer:** I don't understand where you come up with the idea that a simple girl like me could possibly own Inuyasha. I don't, sorry. He, and everyone else associated with his name, still belong to Rumiko Takahashi.

**Unnatural Amnesia**

**Chapter Nine:**

**They had** long since finished their dessert and migrated back to the living room, and it was getting rather late, so Mrs. Higurashi finally spoke up again.

"I know everyone's feeling a bit anxious, but we can't stay up all night, and Souta, you've got another game tomorrow, so you need your sleep. I think we should go to bed."

"Bed? Are you crazy? I won't be able to sleep! I'll be too worried that that creepy guy'll show up while we're sleeping!"

"That's what I'm here for, Souta. No worries, no bad guys are making it up to your room." Inuyasha stated reassuringly. Souta fell quiet, obviously thinking.

"Why don't you keep me company tonight, Souta? Or are you too old for that stuff?" Gramps suggested, pulling himself to his feet.

Souta hesitated, then stood. "Ok. Good night Mom, Sis, Inuyasha."

"Good night, Souta."

"'Night, twerp."

"I think I'll head up to bed, too. Kagome, you can show him where the extra blankets are, can't you?"

"Yeah, I can. Good night, Mom."

"Good night, dear. Good night, Inuyasha." And then Mrs. Higurashi ascended the stairs and disappeared down the hall way, leaving Inuyasha and Kagome alone in the living room.

* * *

**Kagome stood** a couple of moments after her mother had gone upstairs. "Mom's right, it's getting pretty late."

"What, midnight's late to you?" Inuyasha joked, grinning as he, too, stood up.

Kagome chuckled softly. "Only when I'm tired. Come with me, I'll show where all our extra blankets and things are." As she spoke, she led him down a side hall, stopping about half-way down it, facing a closet door. She reached up and pulled it open slowly, obviously waiting to be bombarded by something. Sure enough, an old throw blanket fell out and landed half in her face. Inuyasha reached over and pulled it away from her, slinging it over a shoulder. "You know, we've got warmer blankets."

"Keh, it's practically summer time, I don't need too many blankets. This'll be fine."

"How many pillows do you want? I think we have four in here."

"One'll be enough."

"Only one?"

"Yeah, only one." _When you spend half your life sleeping in trees, one is sometimes too much._

"Ok, here you go. One pillow, extra fluffy." She grinned, handing him a semi-smushed pillow that had, at one point, probably been rather big and cushiony. He grinned and took the pillow gratefully.

"Thanks."

"Don't thank me. You're the one who volunteered to spend the night just for our peace of mind."

He grinned again as they made their way back to the living room. "Peace of mind is important. And, like I said, this is my responsibility. I intend to fix it."

They fell silent as he tossed the pillow on one arm of the couch and the blanket on the other end. Then he turned, thumbs stuck in his pockets casually. "Well, good night, Kagome."

"Good night, Inuyasha. Thanks again." Then, impulsively, she leaned in and planted a soft, quick kiss on his cheek before turning and walking up the stairs. She paused at her door, waved down at him, and disappeared into her bedroom. He heard the lock click and released the breath he'd been holding. Stepping back into the main part of the living room, he collapsed onto the couch and his eyes drifted shut. Instantly, the feel of her lips on his cheek shot through him again, and he tried to force that feeling away.

* * *

**A few **hours had passed since the Higurashi's had gone to bed, and Inuyasha was still wide awake. He'd known when he made the offer that he wouldn't be sleeping that night. What he hadn't considered when he'd made that offer, however, was the temptation. He kept finding himself at the foot of the stairs, or half-way up them, before realizing that he didn't have the right to check on her now. He knew she was ok. He just…wanted to see her. With a low growl, he turned and returned to the couch angrily. It was going to be a long night, unless Tao was dumb enough to show up. Which he doubted.

* * *

_**Kagome couldn't**__ believe her luck, or lack of it, rather. She'd tripped over an ant hill and twisted her ankle. _How in the world did I manage that?_ Her thoughts shifted completely when she felt her senses tingle in a familiar, comforting way. She blushed, already embarrassed for herself. A moment later, an equally familiar shadow was looming over her, arms crossed, one eyebrow raised._

"_How the Hell'd you manage to twist your ankle over an ant hill?"_

"_I don't know, I wasn't paying attention, I guess. Can you help me up, please?"_

"_Keh, you need to pay more attention, clumsy. One o' these days you could really hurt yourself with this habit o' yours." As he spoke, Inuyasha bent over, and the next thing she knew, she was in his arms and they were racing towards the village._

"_You don't have to carry me, you know."_

"_Of course I do, you'll just trip again, now that that ankle's givin' you trouble. Just stay off it for a little while, an' you'll be fine."_

* * *

_**"What is**__ wrong with you? You could've gotten yourself killed!" Kagome shouted, grabbing one of Inuyasha's ears to keep his attention._

_With his head tilted to ease the pressure on his ear, he growled, "He had it comin'! Besides, he was the one who went and attacked you! You should be grateful!"_

"_Grateful? You almost got yourself killed because you couldn't wait three more hours for your demonic powers to come back! If he hadn't been distracted with Shippo and Kirara, he'd have killed you! Is that what you want?"_

"_Don't be ridiculous! That bastard was trying to kill __**you**__, you know! Dammit, Kagome, just drop it!"_

_Releasing his ear, she stepped back and crossed her arms over her chest angrily. He knew that look well, and his expression shifted from irritation to trepidation. "Just drop it? I'm sorry I don't want you to kill yourself!"_

"_C'mon, Kagome, it's not like he could've killed me-"_

"_Inuyasha! __**Sit**__ boy!"_

* * *

**Morning came** uneventfully, and by nine everyone was gathered in the kitchen. Souta was talking about his game that afternoon, and Gramps was reading the newspaper while Mrs. Higurashi made breakfast. Inuyasha was lounging on the couch, having already put away the blanket and pillow he hadn't used. Kagome was sitting at the kitchen table, staring at her glass of water and trying to remember what it was she'd dreamt about. All she could remember was having an argument with Inuyasha; something about someone who'd almost killed him. _The stress of this whole thing must be getting to me. Why else would I dream something like that? And why is the word 'sit' stuck in my head?_

Mrs. Higurashi grabbed the nearest plate and instructed Kagome to fetch Inuyasha for breakfast, so she got up and walked into the living room. He looked over at her when she walked in and flashed her a small grin. "Breakfast ready?"

"Yep. Hope you're hungry; I think she made a lot."

"I've got a big appetite." Kagome laughed as she lead the way back to the kitchen.

* * *

**It was** 10:30, and time for Souta to leave to meet his team, as they had an hour and a half of practice, then a lunch break, and then it was game time. Kagome assured them that she'd be ok until it came time to show up for the game, and Mrs. Higurashi and Gramps reluctantly left to accompany Souta.

When they were gone, Kagome sighed and collapsed on the couch. Inuyasha arched an eyebrow.

"Do you think he'll show like he said he would?"

"I don't know. Would've thought I'd have heard from him by now."

"How come that doesn't sound reassuring?"

He grinned despite the situation. "'Cause it isn't?"

"Oh, gee, thanks for that. Seriously, though, what am I supposed to do? Just wait around for him to show up?"

Inuyasha shook his head and stood. "No. C'mon, we'll go kill time and see what happens."

"Are you sure?"

"Are you worried?" Kagome pretended to glare at him as she took his proffered hand and stood. She allowed him to lead her out the door, and made certain to lock up once they were outside. Then she pocketed her keys and cell phone and followed him towards the stairs.

* * *

**After Souta's **game, the family opted to go out and see a movie, so Inuyasha took the risk of heading back to his brother's for a couple of hours, to see what they might have found. He was operating under the assumption that Tao wouldn't be stupid enough to do something in public. And that his twin nephews, who happened to be attending the same movie, would step in if he did.

He got back in time for Jaken to go squealing by about something or other that he really just didn't care about, so he popped the imp on the head for old-times-sake and kept going, heading towards his brother's office.

He threw open the door and saw his brother on the phone. Sesshoumaru held up a finger, signaling that he be quiet, and, for once, Inuyasha complied. He allowed himself to collapse into one of the expensive chairs facing the desk while Sesshoumaru talked to whoever was on the other end. His ears twitched at what he heard, and he leaned forward almost instantly, forgetting all about being tired.

"I'm sure. I know his stench pretty damn well, and it's all over this dump. Ayame's checkin' it out, seein' if she can follow the trail." Kouga's voice reported from the other end.

"I see. And you're certain he only left moments ago?"

"Yeah, I'm sure. Hold up, she's comin' back." A pause, then, "What'd you find, babe?" Another pause, and Kouga directed his voice back to the phone. "You'd better grab the mutt and get over here. Fast."

"Then we shall meet you there." Sesshoumaru hung up and glanced over at Inuyasha as his little brother stood.

"He found him?"

"It seems that is the case. Are you ready?"

"Been ready all night. Let's get this damn thing over with."

* * *

**Half an** hour later, it was done. Tao was dead and the threat gone with him. Checking his watch, Inuyasha figured Kagome and her family would probably be out of the movie by then, so he hopped in his Mustang and drove to her shrine. When he got out, he could tell instantly that they hadn't gotten home yet. Frowning slightly, he dug out his cell phone and scrolled down until her name popped up, and clicked the right button. It rang four times before her voicemail kicked in.

"_Hey, you've reached Kagome Higurashi. Sorry I missed your call, but please leave a message, and I'll be sure to call you back. Thanks!"_ And then it beeped irritatingly in his ear.

"Hey, Kagome, it's me. Just thought I'd let you know, everything's clear. We found Tao and took care o' the situation. You can rest easy an' all that. Call me when you get this, just so I know you know. Talk to you later, I guess." _What the hell? Why wouldn't she answer her phone?_

He decided to hang around the shrine for a bit, to see when she'd get back. After half-an-hour, he caved, and leapt into the Goshinboku once more. Settling on his favorite branch, which had served him well over the centuries, he let his eyes drift shut.

* * *

**He didn't **know how long he'd been asleep when he heard the Higurashi family car pull in to their garage. Shaking himself awake, he jumped from the tree and walked over to the front of the building, leaning casually against the wall and waiting patiently. It didn't take them long to walk up.

"Hey, Inuyasha. What's going on?" Kagome asked, her meaning obvious.

He raised an eyebrow. "Didn't you get my message? I called a while ago."

"You did?" Kagome said, digging into her pocket and pulling out her phone. Flipping it open, she said, "Huh. I never heard it ring. Sorry."

"Keh, no big deal. Just wanted to let you know, you can sleep in peace tonight. Tao's no longer a threat to you, I promise. We found him this afternoon."

"You did?!"

"Yeah. It's all over now."

"Oh, that rocks!" Souta declared, pumping the air with his fist.

"Thanks so much for everything you've done, Inuyasha. If there's ever anything we can do to repay you, please, just let us know." Mrs. Higurashi stated, smiling.

He shook his head and shoved his hands into his pockets. "You don't owe me anything for what I did. Anyway, there's still some paperwork to catch up on, so I'd better be going. Suppose I'll see you all later, then." After exchanging temporary good-byes, and accepting an invitation to dinner, which he was instructed to extend to his brother and sister-in-law, on that upcoming Friday, he left.

* * *

**Kagome woke** up sweating Monday morning, but once again, she couldn't remember her dream. Shrugging it off as just another nightmare, she climbed out of bed and got ready for school. _I can't believe that that all happened in one weekend. It seems almost like a dream._

She got to school ten minutes earlier than usual, and headed to the library so that she could study in quiet for the quiz they were having that day in history. And she got about five minutes of solid studying in, too. Until her friends showed up and discovered her.

School went by fairly quickly, and soon Kagome was walking by herself back to the shrine. She was about twenty feet away from the school when Hojo's voice called out to her. She cringed, hoping it wasn't time to hurt his feelings inadvertently. She stopped and waited for him to catch up like a good friend, smiling up at him, as he was once again on his bike.

"Hey, Hojo. How are you?"

"Oh, I'm doing great. Actually, Kagome, I really want to talk to you about something."

"Oh, ok. What's up?"

"Well, you see, this is really awkward, but, um…well, I feel really horrible about this, but I realized something the other day, and I…I don't want to upset you or anything, but…well, I got the impression that you didn't really want to be going out with me, am I right?"

Kagome stopped, paling and staring at him, wondering how he'd come to that (accurate) conclusion. "I…uh…Hojo, I'm sorry. I don't know what it is, I guess…I dunno, I don't think I'm interested in dating right now, that's all."

"Oh, it's ok! I didn't mean to sound angry or anything! The truth is, I was thinking about that, when something occurred to me. And it's really embarrassing that I haven't already figured this out, but, well…I think I've got a bit of a crush on your friend, Ayumi."

Kagome gaped again, totally thrown off by this last statement. Finally pulling herself together, she said, "Ayumi? Really? Oh, wow, I totally didn't see that coming."

"Are you angry with me?"

"What? No! Of course not, Hojo, you're entitled to like whoever you want to! I'm just surprised, that's all. Truthfully, I'm a bit relieved. I was so worried I'd hurt you when I told you that I wasn't interested in dating, I'm glad you're not upset over that."

Hojo laughed, smiling at her. "So, if we're both in agreement, can we still be friends?"

"Of course! I'd love to still be friends. And good luck with Ayumi, by the way."

"Do you think I stand a chance?"

Kagome smiled knowingly. "Well, as a friend of Ayumi's, I can't say. But as a friend of yours, I think you can take the risk."

"Great! Well, then I'll see you tomorrow, Kagome! Bye!" And with that, Hojo rode off quickly. Kagome just stood there and stared for a bit, completely thrown off by that unusual exchange.

* * *

**With life** more or less back to normal for Kagome, the week seemed to fly by. Soon it was Friday, and she was more excited than she'd thought she'd be to see Inuyasha again that night for dinner. She was sitting under the tree at lunch, and Yuka and Eri had just joined her, saying Ayumi would be there in a few minutes. Then they started talking about random things, mostly their least favorite teachers and how they couldn't wait to graduate next month.

Ayumi came over a few minutes later, her face flushed, and sat down quietly. Eri looked over at her curiously. "What's with you, Ayumi?"

"Yeah, you look a little pink." Yuka added.

"You're never going to believe what just happened." Ayumi stated, smiling. The girls exchanged looks, then looked back to Ayumi. Seeing that they weren't going to try and guess, she said, "Hojo just asked me out."

"_**What?**_" Yuka and Eri shouted in unison. Kagome smiled.

"You said yes, right?"

"Of course I did!"

"Well, then congratulations. I bet you'll have fun."

"And you're _**okay**_ with this, Kagome?" Yuka demanded.

"Why wouldn't I be? It's not like Hojo and I don't get along or something."

"You're so weird, Kagome." Eri muttered teasingly, biting into her sandwich.

* * *

**The school** day was over quickly and Kagome practically ran home, knowing full well that dinner was still three hours away. She kicked her shoes off in the entry way, hollered that she was home, and bounded up the stairs to get her homework out of the way and change into something casual.

It took her nearly an hour and a half to get all her homework done, and then she came downstairs and flopped on the couch, her personal reading book in hand. Just as she made herself comfortable, an idea occurred to her. She stood up again and headed outside, walking over to the Sacred Tree. Stepping easily over the small fence, she settled herself beneath the tree and opened her book.

Before she knew it, she heard the gentle rumble of an expensive car pulling into her driveway. Slipping her bookmark in, she looked up just in time to see a black limo come to a stop and an equally black motorcycle swing around it and park at an angle. Inuyasha swung off the bike just as a butler held open the limo door and Sesshoumaru stepped out, offering his hand to his wife. Once they were out, Sesshoumaru nodded at the driver and he got back into the limo and backed out of the driveway.

* * *

**Kagome stood** and brushed off her skirt before stepping over the small fence once again. Inuyasha turned around and tossed her a grin as he shrugged off his light over coat and tossed it onto the bike, beside his helmet. "Hey, Kagome. How's life?"

She smiled back at him. "Not too bad." Directing her attention towards Sesshoumaru and Rin, she smiled graciously. "It's good to see you both again."

"It's good to see you, too. You look like you're doing well." Rin said, returning the smile.

"Thanks. Please, come in. Dinner should be ready soon, I imagine." Turning, Kagome led them into the house and escorted them to the living room. "Make yourselves comfortable, I'll go check on dinner." Then she disappeared down the hall, and Inuyasha claimed the armchair, leaning back and inhaling the scents of the house. Or, rather, one of them.

Sesshoumaru and Rin sat down on the couch and looked around briefly before looking back at Inuyasha. "You certainly look comfortable, little brother."

"Cram it, Sessh." Inuyasha declared, intentionally using the 'nickname' his older brother hated.

They both heard two sets of footsteps coming down the hall, and moments later, Kagome and her mother entered the living room.

"Oh, hello. Kagome told me you'd all arrived. It's good to see you again, Inuyasha."

Inuyasha inclined his head respectfully. "You, too, Mrs. Higurashi. I'd like you to meet my older brother, Sesshoumaru, and his wife, Rin."

"Hello, Mrs. Higurashi. It's a pleasure to meet you." Sesshoumaru said, standing politely and inclining his head.

"Hey! Gramps! Inuyasha and his brother are here!" Souta's voice hollered from the door way. A moment later, the energetic young boy came running into the room.

"Souta, slow down, dear." Mrs. Higurashi instructed. Turning to her guests, she smiled. "Dinner should be ready in just a few minutes. If you'll excuse me." She said, returning to the kitchen to tend to the meal.

Souta and Grandpa Higurashi were readily introduced to Sesshoumaru and Rin Taisho, and then Kagome reported that they were being summoned to the dinner table, so they all stood up and migrated to the kitchen. The table-leaf had been added to assure that there was enough room for everyone. Gramps took his seat at the foot of the table, and Souta took the seat to his left. Sesshoumaru and Rin took the seats to the left of the head of the table, and Inuyasha sat opposite his brother, beside Kagome, who was sitting beside her brother.

Mrs. Higurashi served the dinner, placing the plates in front of everyone and then seated herself at the head of the table. "I do hope you like it."

"It looks delicious, Mrs. Higurashi." Rin commented honestly, taking a bite of her dinner. Soon everyone was focused more on eating than making small talk.

_**To Be Continued…**_

_**A/N:**_ So, that's that for chapter nine. Please let me know what you think! And stay tuned for chapter ten!


	11. Chapter 10

_**A/N:**_ Chapter ten is here! And I'm pretty sure that this chapter marks the longest story I've ever posted; ever. I hope you enjoy this installment to the story! (Oh, and FYI, slight spoiler for part of the anime in italics…don't say I didn't warn you!)

**Disclaimer: **My name is not Rumiko Takahashi, so therefore, I do not own Inuyasha. I know, it's sad.

**Unnatural Amnesia**

**Chapter Ten:**

**The group** was gathered outside just over an hour later, watching Sesshoumaru's limo drive away.

"Cool! You have a motorcycle, too!" Souta shouted, having just noticed Inuyasha's bike. Inuyasha turned to look over at the young boy, smirking.

"Yeah, I've got a motorcycle."

"Man, this must've been expensive!"

Inuyasha chuckled as he walked over and leaned against the wall beside his bike. "Yeah, you could say that. But it was money well spent, if you ask me."

"Could you give me a ride? I've always wanted to ride on a motorcycle!"

"Souta, don't you think it's a bit late?" Mrs. Higurashi asked.

"No way, Mom!"

"Maybe another time, twerp. Your mother's right."

"Aw, man. Ok. I've got homework to do, anyway. See you later, Inuyasha!"

"I've got dishes to do. Good night, Inuyasha." Mrs. Higurashi said, excusing herself. She dragged Gramps with her when she walked off, leaving Kagome and Inuyasha alone.

Kagome smiled up at him, clasping her hands behind her back. "So, thanks for coming."

"Keh," he shrugged, hands in pockets. "It's just a dinner, you know."

"Yeah, I know. It's just…probably we won't be able to talk very often, what with you being a busy businessman, and me a senior in high school. That's all." She mumbled the last part, looking away. _Why did I say that?_

"That bothers you?"

"Well, I-you're a good friend. And, I don't like to lose touch with my friends, that's all."

"Ok," he paused, not sure what he was doing, "if that's how you feel, then come to dinner with me. Just us. Say Sunday night?"

Kagome's eyes flew to his once more, and even in the dim light of what was left of the moon, he could see a tinge of pink in her cheeks. "Sunday night?"

"Unless you're busy?"

She shook her head, then, and smiled up at him. "No, I'm not busy. Sunday night is perfect."

"Great. Then I'll pick you up at six. Sound good?"

"Sounds great. I'll see you Sunday at six."

He nodded, grinning still, and swung onto his bike, slipping into his over coat and tugging on his helmet. "Good night, Kagome."

"Good night, Inuyasha."

* * *

_**I just**__ asked Kagome on a date. How the Hell did I manage to do that? Ok, granted, I've had five hundred years to learn how to swallow my pride and break out of my comfort zone, but this thing hasn't exactly been going how I'd wanted from the start, and, damn, what the hell? This is good; she said yes. And probably I'll have to settle for how things are now; I don't expect her memory will return, I've got this feeling that this is how it's going to be. So I'll deal with it. I can do that._

It didn't take him long to reach his house, and then he parked the bike in his garage, slipped off and went inside. He decided to bypass his living room altogether, going straight upstairs and dropping his watch on the nightstand. He headed directly for the shower, and after that was done, he dropped into his bed and fell asleep.

* * *

**Kagome couldn't **believe it. When she woke up that morning, she realized with a start that it hadn't been a dream. Inuyasha Taisho had actually asked her out; and she'd actually said yes. _Oh my God! I've got a date, a real date, with Inuyasha tomorrow!_ This thought kept racing through her head as she got dressed for the day, and throughout the day.

She put in her ritual Saturday hours at the store, and then she went inside and changed, and while she was in her room, her cell phone rang.

"Hello?"

"Hey, Kagome, it's Yuka."

"Oh, hey Yuka. What's up?"

"Well, I was thinking of going to see that movie that we all wanted to see, and Eri and Ayumi have already said they can come. You interested?"

"When is it?"

"Uh, tomorrow night. Starts at like 5:15, I think. I figure we'll have popcorn and candy for dinner, you know?"

"Oh, I'm sorry, Yuka, I can't come. I'm busy tomorrow night. But you and the girls can go; I'll see it eventually."

"What do you mean you're busy? It's _**Sunday night**_. Since when are you busy on Sunday nights?"

"It's just this Sunday. And it's no big deal."

"Well, can't you cancel or take a rain check or something? I mean, we all talked about seeing this one. How often do we get to all go see a movie together?"

"I know we don't get to see movies together very often, and I'm sorry. But I'm not going to cancel my plans, Yuka. We're almost out of high school, there'll be plenty of time to go see movies this summer!"

Yuka sighed heavily on the other end. "Ok, well, if that's the way it is. You're not blowing us off for some guy are you? Like that Inuyasha guy?"

"I'm not 'blowing you off!' I didn't know about the movie thing when I made my other plans, so that doesn't count as 'blowing off,' and you know it!"

"Yeah, yeah. Ok, well, I've gotta go. Guess I'll see you at school on Monday. Bye, Kagome."

"Later, Yuka."

* * *

**Sunday afternoon,** Kagome approached her mother and told her about her plans for that evening. "Is that ok with you?"

Mrs. Higurashi smiled, her eyes laughing. "Of course it is, dear. Inuyasha's a nice young man, and I can tell he likes you, too. I'm glad you're giving it a try."

"Thanks, Mom."

"Oh, you can thank me by having fun. Does that sound fair?"

Kagome smiled, giving her mother a quick hug. "Definitely!" And then she ran off, up the stairs.

Later that afternoon, Souta poked his head in and started teasing her about going out with Inuyasha. She threw a book at him and told him to get out.

* * *

**Inuyasha pulled** up into the Higurashi's driveway at precisely six o'clock and stepped out of the Mustang. Feigning casualty, he walked up to the door and knocked lightly, as he had the night he'd taken her to the company dinner. He heard a scuffling sound, and pounding footsteps, and Souta's exuberant voice shouting, "Kagome, Inuyasha's here!" And then the door was thrown open eagerly, and Inuyasha grinned down at the young boy.

"Hey there, Souta. Your sister ready?"

"Of course not, this is Kagome we're talking about. C'mon in, Inuyasha, I'll go get her." As he spoke, the energetic teenager grabbed Inuyasha's hand and dragged him inside. Kagome met them at the foot of the stairs, dressed in a simple blue sundress, her hair loose around her shoulders.

"You can knock it off now, Souta."

"Yeah, yeah, whatever," Souta countered, grinning and bounding up the stairs. With a light chuckle, Kagome turned and met Inuyasha's piercing gaze.

"Sorry about him. I think he had too much coffee at dinner."

Inuyasha smirked and held out his hand. "Maybe. You look nice, Kagome." Then, quickly, he bent and brushed his lips lightly over the back of her hand, releasing it almost instantly and righting himself.

Kagome blushed and used both hands to hold her purse in front of her. "Thanks," she mumbled.

* * *

**Mrs. Higurashi** chose that moment to walk in, wiping her hands on her apron and smiling brightly at them. "Good evening, Inuyasha."

"Mrs. Higurashi," He said, bowing politely. She smiled again and turned her attention to her daughter thoughtfully.

"I take it you're off now, then." When Kagome nodded, she walked up and hugged her tightly. "Have fun, dear. And remember, it's a school night, so don't be out too late. Ten thirty?"

Kagome smiled. "I think we can manage that."

"Unless they're too busy making out!" Souta's voice called down from his doorway. Kagome blushed again and glared up in his direction while her mother chuckled and Inuyasha tried not to grin.

"Go, go, don't let us keep you. Shoo!" Mrs. Higurashi said, waving her hands in faux-impatience at them as they headed to the door. They waved and walked to the Mustang casually.

* * *

**"So, I **don't suppose you're going to tell me where we're going, are you?" Kagome asked after they'd pulled onto the main road. She saw Inuyasha toss her a smirk before returning his attention to the busy streets.

"Don't suppose I am."

"Typical," Kagome said on a laugh as she relaxed again into the leather seats.

_You have no idea._ "If it makes you feel any better, I'm betting you'll like it."

Kagome grinned over at him briefly, before replying, "Oh, I believe you."

* * *

**They drove** for another few minutes before Inuyasha turned onto a smaller road and drove half-way down it, turning into the parking lot of a small little café-type restaurant. Kagome looked up at it, somewhat surprised. "We're going here?"

"Yep. It may be small, but the food's top-notch."

"Yeah, I love this place. But we've only come a couple of times."

"Well, now you've come a _**few**_ times." He said, grinning as he extracted the keys from the car and dropped them in his pocket. A minute later, they were walking up to the front door of the restaurant leisurely.

"What made you choose it, though?" Kagome asked curiously as they took their place in the small line.

"The owners are family friends, figured it was a good idea."

"Really? That's cool."

* * *

**They were **seated and eating barely fifteen minutes later. They made small talk throughout the meal, enjoying each other's company and the good food. It didn't take them long to finish the dinner, and the waiter swooped over and carried their plates away quickly.

"So, was it good?" Inuyasha asked, leaning forward casually and resting his elbows on the table.

Kagome smiled and put down her water. "Delicious. Thank you."

He smiled back, saying, "You're welcome." Then he paused and looked up as their waiter reappeared, holding a slightly large slice of strawberry swirl cheesecake.

"I hope you've left room for dessert. Ami insists that you eat it."

Kagome looked over questioningly. "Ami?"

Inuyasha grinned and made room on the table for the plate. "Ami's the cook. Oldest daughter of the couple who own the place."

"Oh!" By now, the waiter had left and moved to take another order. Kagome reached for the fork that had been left with the plate, but was too slow. Inuyasha snatched it and cut off a piece of the tasty dessert, then held it out to her with a grin.

"Open wide," He teased. She blushed but complied, and he fed her the bite of cheesecake. He watched as she enjoyed the dessert, moaning so softly, he shouldn't have heard it. He grinned again as she opened her eyes and held out her hand.

"My turn, Mister. Hand over that fork."

"Yes, ma'am." He replied, handing her the fork. She smiled teasingly and repeated his own actions, cutting off a piece of cheesecake and holding it out. With a barely-contained smirk, Inuyasha allowed her to feed him. Then he snatched the fork from her hand and fed her another slice.

* * *

**They stayed** at the restaurant another hour before Inuyasha stood and escorted her back to the Mustang. "Tell me, Kagome, do you feel up for a movie?"

Kagome looked over at him curiously, and then replied, "I suppose that depends on the movie."

"How 'bout a comedy?" He suggested, pulling back onto the main road and turning towards the theater.

"Why do I get the feeling that you already bought the tickets?"

He smirked at her words. "'Cause you obviously know me so well."

Kagome laughed. "That's what I thought." When she'd properly collected herself, she added, "A movie sounds great."

Less than ten minutes later, Inuyasha had Kagome pick out the seats and they sat down. "Now, you're sure you don't want popcorn?" He whispered. _Ok, so in truth, the whole 'be quiet while in a theater' thing is just kind of an excuse to lean in…still, it's as close as I'm gonna get on the whole 'scent inhaling' thing for a while. Damn._

"Yeah, I'm sure. We just ate, so I'm not really hungry. You can get some if you want." She whispered back.

"Don't need any. Just checkin'."

"Ok, thanks."

* * *

**The movie** let out nearly two hours later, as Inuyasha had expected. As they climbed into the Mustang, Inuyasha said, "Well, I guess it's time for me to get you home now?"

"Is it already ten thirty?"

"No, but it'll be just about ten thirty by the time we get back."

Kagome gave a soft chuckle. "Then I guess it is."

* * *

**They drove** mostly in silence this time, until he parked in her driveway once again. Smiling, she unbuckled and looked over at him. "Thanks so much, Inuyasha. It was really fun."

He grinned and reached for his door handle. "Glad you think so, but it ain't over 'til you're safely inside. C'mon." Then he stepped out and walked around, opening her door for her.

"You don't have to walk me to the door, you know."

"Keh, sure I do. What kind o' man would I be if I didn't?"

Kagome laughed lightly, and he reached out, snagging her hand before she reached for the door. She looked back at him, her eyes dancing. "Inuyasha?" She asked softly. He stepped forward, still holding her hand, and, with his free one, grasped her chin lightly.

"Good night, Kagome." Then, before he could chicken out, he placed his lips lightly on hers. It took a lot of will power not to pull her tight against him when she returned the kiss. A moment later, he stepped back, forcing some distance between them. He smirked at her reassuringly.

"Good night, Inuyasha." She said softly, her face still pink. She watched as he turned and walked back to the car. Pausing beside his door, he turned and called out one final thing.

"Think you'd be up for a second date sometime?"

Kagome returned her attention to him, as she was half-way through door. Her face lit up with a smile. "Definitely."

* * *

_**She felt**__ her heart stop when she realized that the arrow was headed straight for Inuyasha, who couldn't defend himself, pinned as he was to the tree. Without a thought, she dropped the bow she'd held in her hand and let the quiver fall beside it as she raced to beat the arrow. All she could think about was saving the man she loved. And she barely made it._

_She reached him barely a second before the arrow, which would have pierced his heart, so much like Kikyo's had done fifty years before. Instead, it embedded itself into her back, probably puncturing something. She gasped, the pain sharper than she'd expected. She looked up, then, into his angry, worry-filled amber eyes, and released the breath she'd held. He was ok._

"_Kagome! Kagome!!" Was all she heard for a long moment, and she felt things shift around her. Then, suddenly, she was trapped in some magical binding spell and their enemy, Kaguya, was standing before her. She knew her injury was gone, though she had no idea how. But all thoughts once again fled as Kaguya began chanting yet another spell. And Inuyasha, who had apparently arrived with their friends, whose names escaped her at the moment, started convulsing and growling uncontrollably. Then his eyes bled red, and jagged purple streaks tore across his face, and she watched as the monk attempted, and failed, to pacify him. Then the monk called out to her, telling her that she was the only one who could save Inuyasha._

_The next thing she knew, she was clinging on to him as though her life depended on it, which she had no doubt that it did. And with tears rolling down her face, she leaned up and pressed her lips against his. His struggling ceased almost instantly, and then, a long moment later, his arms came around her and she felt him kiss her back. The sensation was gone almost immediately. _

* * *

**Kagome groaned** and smacked at her alarm before it finally shut off. She sat up a long minute later, rubbing her eyes and yawning loudly. _Man, what a weird dream. Demons and monks…where in the WORLD did that come from?_ Shaking it off as just an odd dream, which wasn't entirely uncommon, she stood and began preparing for school. There were just a couple of weeks left until graduation, and so long as she attended class every day, she was guaranteed to graduate. _Sounds so simple. Just two more weeks; ten more days. Wonder if I'll actually succeed, though?_

Twenty five minutes later, she was off to school, grateful that, for once, she had no quizzes or tests to cram for.

* * *

**Inuyasha, Sesshoumaru,** and Rin were gathered at the airport. Sesshoumaru and Rin were slightly back, giving Inuyasha a semblance of privacy with his surrogate son. Shippo had already said his good-byes to everyone else, now it was just him and Inuyasha.

"I really am sorry that I have to go back already."

"It's no big deal, pup. I can take care of myself."

"I know that, Inuyasha….Still, call me if…you know."

Inuyasha was quiet a moment, looking away. Finally, he snorted. "Keh, 'course I will. Now take care, and say hello to those pups and Souten."

Shippo grinned, giving his 'adoptive' father a hug. "I will. Bye!"

"Keh," Inuyasha replied, ruffling the fox's hair and watching as the not-so-young-anymore fox demon strolled off to catch his flight. Then he turned and rejoined his brother and sister-in-law as they walked back to the parking lot.

_**To Be Continued…**_

_**A/N:**_ Ok, so I know it was slightly short-ish, but hopefully you can all forgive me. I hope you enjoyed it, and please 'stay tuned' for chapter eleven! (Oh, and don't forget to R&R!)


	12. Chapter 11

_**A/N:**_ I'm soooo sorry for the long update-delay! Good news is, here's chapter eleven! Yay! I hope everyone's enjoying it so far! Now, as usual, please forgive any/all OOCness (and the occasional spoiler), and enjoy the story!

**Disclaimer:** _whistles_ C'mere, Inuyasha! _whistles again_…Drat, guess I still don't own him. Which means he still belongs to Rumiko Takahashi. _sigh_

**Unnatural Amnesia**

**Chapter Eleven:**

**The remaining** time before graduation seemed to fly by, and before she knew it, it was the final day of school. As soon as the bell rang, the students all went flying out of the large double doors, whooping and pumping their fists in the air. The girls squealed excitedly.

"Omigod! I can't believe I did it you guys! I'm graduating! _**Me**_!"

"Yeah, it's great! We're all graduating together after all! _**Tomorrow**_! It doesn't even seem real!" Yuka added, high-fiving Kagome happily. They laughed loudly.

"Hey, Ayumi, what's wrong?" Eri asked, noticing her friend's almost sad expression.

Ayumi blinked and looked over at them. "Hmm? Oh, well, it's just…I think I'm going to miss high school."

They stared at her in silence for a few seconds, digesting the words of their friend. Finally, "_**Miss**_ high school?"

"Yeah. I mean, college won't be nearly so easy, and besides, I…never mind."

"Oh, no, c'mon, spill. What?" Yuka encouraged, hands on hips.

"And what do you mean, 'easy'?" Eri added, mimicking Yuka's pose. Kagome shook her head.

"C'mon, girls, we all knew it was easy for Ayumi. Ease up a bit; she's entitled to her opinion."

Yuka let out a breath and stood upright once more. "I suppose. At any rate, Ayumi, are you planning on spending any of your summer with Hojo?"

Ayumi blushed, grasping her backpack straps tightly. "Umm, well, I…" She was cut off by a car honk that startled them all.

"Uh, Kagome, I think your ride's here." Eri stated, staring with wide eyes as Inuyasha climbed out of the offending Mustang.

Kagome blushed slightly. "Sorry, guess I'll see you three tomorrow. Bye!"

"Bye!" They shouted, waving, as their friend ran over to her rich boyfriend.

* * *

**Inuyasha smirked** to himself as Kagome ran over to him. "Hey, how was the last day of school?"

"Great! We got to do absolutely nothing all day!" She paused then, adjusting her backpack. "So, what're you doing here, anyway?"

He shrugged, holding her door open for her. "Thought I'd give you a lift home. It's not everyday you get out of high school forever. Figured we could grab some ice cream or something to celebrate."

She smiled up at him as he shut her door gently. When he climbed back in on his side, she added, "Ice cream sounds great. Thanks."

Without another word, they pulled away from the school and he headed in the direction of the ice cream shop.

* * *

**The drive** was fairly short and uneventful, and soon they were sitting at the back table once again, enjoying the cold treats. After a moment of companionable silence, Kagome declared, "I can't believe I'm graduating tomorrow. After I was so sick for the past three years, I didn't think I'd _**ever**_ graduate high school."

Inuyasha scoffed lightly, pretending to occupy himself with his own ice cream. "Don't be ridiculous, Kagome. Sick or not, you did your best. So it could've been easier; ain't that usually the way it goes?"

Kagome smiled over at him as she absentmindedly licked off a runaway trail of ice cream. "Yeah, I guess. It's so weird, though. Those three years are all kind of…blurry. I mean, I remember stuff about the days I managed to go to school…but the days when I was in the hospital are so fuzzy, I usually get a headache just thinking about them."

Inuyasha arched an eyebrow as he met her gaze, trying to ignore how she was licking at her double-scoop of strawberry ice cream. "That's pretty bad, Kagome. Have you told the doctors about the headaches?"

Kagome shook her head. "No. I figured it was just a side-effect of whatever it was that was wrong with me. I haven't mentioned the whole 'fuzzy-headache' thing to anyone, really. It's no big deal; I don't actually want to remember spending weeks, or months, on end in a hospital room, anyway."

"S'pose I can understand that. Just be careful about it." He paused, trying not to think about the potential reasons for the 'headache,' or what it could mean for him. Shifting his attention temporarily out the window, he grinned as he watched a little girl beg her mother for an ice cream cone successfully. Then he turned back to Kagome and asked, conversationally, "So, how's your ice cream?"

Kagome laughed. "It's great; just the way I like it."

"Good," Inuyasha replied with a grin, popping the last of his cone into his mouth.

* * *

**Half an** hour later, Inuyasha once again slid to a stop in front of the Higurashi shrine. Souta was outside kicking around his soccer ball, so he came running over when he saw the car. "Hey, Inuyasha! You putting up with my sister again?!"

Inuyasha smirked at the teenager as he snatched Kagome's backpack from the backseat and tossed it over his shoulder. "You could say that," he replied.

"You two are so hilarious," Kagome teased as she got out of the Mustang. She walked over to them and Inuyasha wrapped his hand around hers with a grin. Souta made gagging sounds and ran off, kicking the soccer ball once more. Kagome laughed and led the way to the door.

Gramps was helping a customer at the store, so Kagome just waved from a distance before they headed inside.

* * *

**Inuyasha followed** her into the living room before depositing her backpack on the ground beside the coffee table. It was then that Mrs. Higurashi entered the room.

"Oh, hello, Inuyasha. It's good to see you."

Inuyasha inclined his head respectfully. "Likewise, Mrs. Higurashi."

"Hey, Mom," Kagome said with a smile.

"Welcome home, Dear. How was school?"

"Best day of school _**ever**_." She replied with a grin. Inuyasha chuckled and hooked his thumbs into his pockets with a grin.

"That's good to hear." Then Mrs. Higurashi turned her attention to Inuyasha once more. "I'm making a special dinner tomorrow night for Kagome's graduation; it would be great if you could come. Feel free to extend the invitation to your brother and his wife, as well."

Inuyasha grinned. "I'll do that. Graduation starts at ten, right?"

"It does," Mrs. Higurashi replied.

"You're coming?" Kagome asked, sounding slightly surprised.

Inuyasha raised an eyebrow as he shifted his gaze back to hers. "Why wouldn't I?"

"Well, I dunno…you work, so I just figured…."

"Keh, I'm a Taisho. I can afford to take a day or two off here and there."

Kagome smiled brightly. "Thanks." Inuyasha said nothing, merely grinned at her. Mrs. Higurashi excused herself, heading back to the kitchen, and Kagome walked him to the door. "So, I guess I'll see you tomorrow, then."

"Yeah," Inuyasha replied easily. She smiled up at him again, and he grinned down at her briefly before leaning down and lightly pressing his lips to hers. She returned the kiss instantly, and again he had to restrain himself from deepening it, in fear he'd lose control of himself if he did so. Pulling back, he grinned again and reached for the door. "Catch ya tomorrow, Kagome."

"Bye," She called as he walked away.

* * *

**Graduation came** quickly, and the girls all met up at Kagome's house for preparations. The Higurashi's had left earlier to claim enough seats with a decent view of the stage.

"Ohmigod! I still can't believe we're actually, finally, graduating!" Yuka declared as she put the finishing touches on her makeup.

"Isn't it cool?! We're _**done**_ with high school! I'm so excited! My family's taking me to Hawaii to celebrate; we're leaving this weekend; isn't that _**awesome**_?!" Eri added, smoothing down her dress for imaginary wrinkles.

"Hawaii? That's so cool! We're going to Kyoto with Hojo and his mom and grandma; it'll be so much fun!" Ayumi added from her spot on Kagome's bed, as she was already done preparing for graduation. Yuka and Eri simultaneously rolled their eyes.

"Kyoto?" They replied.

Kagome laughed as she finished brushing her hair. "Hey, at least you're going somewhere; I'm staying home."

"Nah, Inuyasha's probably got some totally cool, romantic island getaway planned. You're probably going to, like, Fiji or something!" Eri stated energetically as she pulled on her graduation gown over her regular outfit.

"Don't be ridiculous. We're not going to Fiji, Eri!"

"Probably some place better, like the Bahamas, or something. He can totally afford it!"

Kagome rolled her eyes. "You two are going to be obsessing over my love life when I'm ninety, aren't you?"

They grinned mischievously and both declared, "Probably," before bursting into a fit of laughter.

* * *

**Half an **hour later, they were all lined up and waiting as patiently as they could for their names to be called. After they'd all been called up, they took their seats and the principle, along with some faculty and a number of students all came up, one by one, and gave speeches to the gathered crowd of family and friends. By noon the precession was done, and the group of officially graduated seniors jumped up from their seats and bolted for their families, full of happy energy.

* * *

**Inuyasha watched** as Kagome took a couple of pictures with her friends before running towards them. He was thrilled that she had finally graduated, but part of him was feeling slightly depressed. Originally, before he'd discovered her apparent amnesia, he'd intended to ask her to marry him on graduation day. _Obviously that plan ain't exactly comin' true. I'll have to put it off a while. Damn, what the Hell'd you do, Naraku?_

He smiled genuinely at her when she turned from her family to him. "Hey, congratulations, Kagome," he stated, flashing her a grin. She smiled at him, then quickly stepped forward and wrapped her arms around him, her face pressed easily against his shoulders.

"Thanks," she replied, even before his arms had wound their way around her waist to return the hug. After a moment, she stepped back, and he forced his arms to release her.

"Keh," was all he said in reply.

"Congratulations, Kagome," Rin stated from Inuyasha's right. Kagome looked over and smiled at her boyfriend's sister-in-law.

"Thanks. I'm so glad you both could come." Beside his wife, Sesshoumaru inclined his head in response to Kagome's statement.

"Kagome, why don't you and Inuyasha go stand over there? I'd like to get a picture of you both." Mrs. Higurashi declared, extracting her camera. Obediently, the two made their way to where Mrs. Higurashi had indicated she wanted them, and Kagome held out her diploma with a huge smile on her face, while Inuyasha stepped slightly behind her and planted both hands firmly on her waist, a cocky grin on his face. Mrs. Higurashi laughed softly and took the picture.

* * *

**Later that** evening, the large group gathered once again around the Higurashi's dining room table and enjoyed a large, celebratory feast in honor of graduation day. When the dinner was done, Sesshoumaru and Rin thanked her and excused themselves politely. They were standing, once again, before Inuyasha's bike, bidding him farewell for the evening.

"Thanks so much for coming. Good night, Inuyasha." Mrs. Higurashi said with a smile. Gramps followed her inside quietly.

"Sooo, Inuyasha, how 'bout that bike-ride?" Souta asked jokingly. Kagome playfully ruffled his hair.

"It's still late, twerp. Don't you have a game tomorrow?"

"Yeah! It's the last one of the season!"

Kagome laughed. "Then go inside and get some sleep."

Souta sighed, and waved at Inuyasha. "Ok. G'night, Inuyasha!" Then he was gone, the door sliding shut behind him.

Inuyasha looked over at Kagome with a grin. "So, you have a good day?"

Kagome smiled and clasped her hands behind her back. "Yeah, you could say that."

"That's good. Guess I'll talk to you tomorrow, then." He stepped forward, closing the gap between them and placed his hands lightly on her hips as he kissed her gently. Her hands landed on his biceps as she returned the kiss, leaning ever-so-slightly into him. He broke the kiss then, but didn't release his hold on her. Instead, he slid his arms all the way around her waist and held her tight for a long moment. "G'night, Kagome," he finally whispered in her ear.

"Good night, Inuyasha," she replied. Then he let her go and flashed her another grin before straddling his motorcycle and speeding away.

* * *

_**"What's the **__matter, Kagome?" Shippo asked naively as he climbed into her lap. She was leaning against the trunk of a tree just off the path, staring up at the blue sky. She blinked and slowly brought her gaze down, until she saw him. Then she forced a half-hearted smile and shook her head._

"_Nothing, Shippo. Why do you ask?"_

"_You looked kinda far away, that's all."_

"_Shippo, there you are," Sango stated as she walked up, Kirara on her shoulder._

"_Hey, Sango. Where you looking for me?" Shippo asked, turning around in Kagome's lap to look at her._

"_I'm playing messenger. Kaede wants you to help her pick the latest batch of medicinal herbs."_

"_Oh, ok." Then Shippo got up and started running back towards Kaede's hut._

_Kagome looked up and met Sango's knowing brown eyes. "Thanks, Sango."_

"_No problem." Sango hesitated, then, finally asking, "Do you want to talk about it, Kagome?"_

_Kagome shook her head and returned her gaze to the sky. "There's nothing to talk about. I know he loves her; and she loves him, at least in some way. And I can't come between them. I just have to learn to live with that, that's all. I'll be ok, Sango."_

_Sango hesitated again, finally heaving a large sigh. "Alright, then. Let me know if you change your mind, or something." Then she left, giving her best friend some much-needed space._

* * *

**Kagome woke** up slowly just before ten the next morning, stretching. _I've been having such odd dreams lately. 'Sango' and 'Kaede' and 'Shippo' and…wait a minute, I've heard that one before. Where've I heard that name before? 'Shippo'…. Huh._ Putting it aside as unimportant, Kagome rolled out of bed and enjoyed the feeling of not having to be in a hurry on Friday morning.

The rest of the day passed uneventfully. Souta's team won their big game, and the family went out to dinner to celebrate. After dinner, they headed home and played a couple of games before calling it a night.

* * *

_**"'Kikyo,' 'Kikyo,'**__ 'Kikyo!' Whoever she is, that's not me! I'm Kagome! Ka-go-me!" She shouted, honestly fed up with him calling her 'Kikyo,' especially since she had no idea who 'Kikyo' even was. He looked a bit taken aback, and then sniffed blatantly at her, before finally conceding that she wasn't 'Kikyo' after all._

* * *

"_So I bumped you on the head; you saw me naked, can't we call it even?" She asked in a faux light tone._

"_I saw nothing!" Inuyasha argued, turning his head and blushing anyway._

* * *

_"Get your hands off my woman, Mutt!" Kouga growled arrogantly._

* * *

_"Lord Sesshoumaru and Inuyasha? Work __**together**__?!" Jaken repeated, before promptly rolling around in fits of laughter by his small fire._

"_I hate to say it," Sango began, "But I think I agree with him."_

* * *

_Kagome gasped happily, clapping her hands together as a huge smile lit up her face. "He proposed!"_

_Beside her, Inuyasha lifted one eyebrow in question. "He __**what**__?" Kagome ignored him, in favor of watching her best friend and surrogate sister accept her other good friend's proposal._

* * *

_"If I must die, I'll take you with me." Raising the jewel higher, he said, "Sacred Shikon Jewel, I wish for you to remove Kagome from this era. To remove all memory of these past three years from her mind forever, along with those who may influence her in the modern era. I ask you to seal the Bone Eaters Well. Forever."_

_Kagome's eyes widened in horror as the jewel floated out of his grasp. Though it was incomplete, apparently it still had the power to grant a wish. Looking at Naraku, she felt the tears begin to slide down her face as she asked, "Why?"_

_His triumphant smirk terrified her. "To make Inuyasha suffer for eternity." Was all he said as the two demonic attacks finally reached him, engulfing him and tearing him apart._

* * *

**Kagome bolted** awake when her alarm went off the next morning, reminding her that she was scheduled to work at the store until two that afternoon. As she pulled her covers aside and switched her alarm clock off, her mind raced. She sat there, frozen in place as memories assaulted her mind. She could feel the wall inside her head shatter, and everything suddenly made sense. Everything.

With this realization, tears suddenly began pouring down her face. The past month or so of her life had, in essence, been a lie. Not that it had been _**false**_, so much as she'd been forced to forget what had, for the past three years, been the most important part of her life. With a barely-restrained sob, she buried her face in her hands and allowed herself to cry for a bit, trying to come to terms with what had happened.

After she'd more or less recovered, she took a deep breath and walked slowly over to her closet. _I can't work today. I don't know if anyone else's memories have come back; or if they will. Or if I can bring them back somehow. But I know Inuyasha remembers, I know it. And I need to tell him that I do, too. I can't believe Naraku did that, and I can't believe it nearly worked!_ With an angry sigh, she extracted a simple blue skirt and a plain white T-shirt for her outfit.

* * *

**Inuyasha was **bored. He knew that, since it was Saturday, Kagome'd be working until two at the shrine. He also knew that he wanted to do something new for their date that weekend. Not that he'd actually set up a time or anything. Grumbling to himself, he stalked down the stairs to his kitchen to see if he had anything decent for breakfast, and casually looked outside while passing through his living room. He saw his neighbors walking to their car with a wicker basket in hand, and a blanket slung over one shoulder. Their two and four year olds were running around at their ankles in bathing suits, so obviously they were headed for a road trip. But Inuyasha had already found his inspiration. _Besides; might be too soon in the relationship for a road-trip date. Damn Naraku._ So, instead, he spun around and snatched his keys off the counter, slipping his watch on and stepping outside. _Just have to buy a basket first. Maybe Rin has one._

* * *

**Ten minutes** later, he was at Sesshoumaru's and talking with his sister-in-law. She shook her head. "I don't have a wicker basket; but Anami might. Let me go ask her."

Inuyasha rolled his eyes. "I _**could**_ just go buy one, y'know."

Rin smiled. "I know; but knowing you, you'd never figure out which one to buy. There's more than one type, you know." Then she turned and walked down the hall, towards Karu's playroom, where Anami was watching the small half-demon diligently, like she had his recent siblings.

Roughly two and a half minutes later, Rin came back with a successful shine to her brown eyes. "Victory. She's got one at home, and she's got to head back anyway, because she left her cell phone, so if you're just a bit patient, you'll have your wicker basket within the hour."

Heaving a half-exaggerated sigh, Inuyasha flopped into the big leather chair he was so fond of and let his head fall back. "Yeah, ok. I can wait an hour."

Rin laughed. "That's good. I'll let her know. Have you called Kagome yet?"

Inuyasha lifted his head and looked at her, one eyebrow raised. Rin waved a hand dismissively in his direction as she headed back down the hall. "Right, right, not my business."

"Keh," Inuyasha replied, his head falling back once more. _Guess I should call her, though. Give her time to get ready, and what-not. _Without lifting his head, he reached in his pocket and extracted his cell phone, flipping it open and hitting the speed-dial number that connected with her cell. _Here we go again._

_**To Be Continued…**_

_**A/N:**_ Almost done!!!!!!!! (Obviously ) Please let me know what you think! And keep reading; the best is yet to come! Lol


	13. Chapter 12

_**A/N:**_ Chapter 12 is here!!!!!!!!! This is the last chapter! I hope you enjoy it! Note: as always, please do forgive any OOCness and spoilers, etc. Thank you.

**Disclaimer:** I made a wish on the Shikon no Tama, and _**still**_ I do not own Inuyasha, or anything associated with him. They still belong entirely to Rumiko Takahashi. Oh, well, I tried.

**Unnatural Amnesia**

**Chapter Twelve:**

**Kagome hadn't** been able to get out of working, but she figured that a few more hours would be ok. _It'll give me time to think about how to tell him…maybe. I might just kind of end up blurting it…or start crying when I see him…that's a high possibility…I feel so horrible, even though it's not my fault, really…stupid Naraku. I hope he at least stayed dead._

She was so lost in her thoughts that she jumped a good three inches when her cell phone rang. It was Inuyasha's ringtone. Swallowing the lump that instantly formed in her throat, she forced herself to sound as calm as possible, knowing that over the phone was the worst way to give him the news, no matter how good the news itself might be.

"Hey," she said when she flipped it open. She hoped her voice didn't catch.

"Hey," he paused, adding, "How are you?"

"I'm good. You?" She could practically see the shrug as he replied.

"Ok. What are you doin' after work?"

"Nothing much," she replied casually.

"Wanna go somewhere?"

"Oh? Where?"

"Just a little place I know right outside of town. Great for picnics."

Despite herself, an image of Inuyasha dressed in his old fire-rat robes carrying a picnic basket through modern-day Tokyo splashed across her mind, and she had to bite back the laugh. "Picnics? Is that what we're doing today?"

Inuyasha laughed softly on the other end of the phone. "Sounded like a good idea. You interested?"

Kagome smiled, wishing she could tell him the truth right then. "Absolutely. When will you be picking me up?"

"You get off at two, right? So I figured I'd swing by around two-thirty, that way you have time to change and stuff."

"Ok. I'll see you at two-thirty, then."

"Great. Have fun at work."

"Right. Bye."

"Later." And then he hung up, and Kagome did the same.

* * *

**Kagome spent** the rest of her work day thinking about the picnic. She only had two customers all day, and they knew exactly what they wanted and were gone quickly. By the time two o' clock rolled around, she was bursting with excitement and a slight, pointless nervousness beneath that.

She bustled into the house and found her mother sitting on the couch, reading a romance novel. Mrs. Higurashi looked up and smiled at her as she came in. "How was work, dear?"

Kagome shrugged. "The same. Mom, Inuyasha's picking me up in half-an-hour for a picnic, so I'll probably be gone for the rest of the afternoon. Is that ok?"

"Of course it is, dear. Have fun." Mrs. Higurashi replied, smiling sweetly before returning to her book. If she remembered who Inuyasha really was, she gave no indication. Kagome gave a mental sigh and trudged up to her room to change into the outfit she'd picked out earlier.

* * *

**Inuyasha arrived** five minutes early, like he usually did, and knocked casually on the door. Kagome answered with a bright smile and her purse already in hand. "Hey," she said, as he stepped back to give her room to step out and shut the door.

"Hey. You ready to go?"

"Yep."

He grinned and walked her to his Mustang. "Good to hear."

They'd been in the car for no longer than two minutes when Inuyasha realized what it was about her scent that was slightly off. She was nervous about something. And she'd been crying earlier that day. A brief flight of panic overtook him as he considered that she might be considering breaking up with him for some reason. _That would __**not**__ be good. Please, don't let it be that._

"So, how was work?" He asked, forcing himself to sound casual while his mind went into full-blown panic mode. Briefly. He managed to make himself calm down enough to realize that it might not have anything to do with him, and then dwelled on that option.

Kagome shrugged, glancing sideways at him for a moment. "Same old, same old, really. Two customers, both very specific. One good-luck sutra, one shiny black Shikon keychain. Other than that, it was kinda boring."

Inuyasha grinned, not dwelling on the image and associated thoughts the 'shiny black Shikon keychain' created. "Sounds about right."

"I thought so."

* * *

**They arrived **at what Kagome presumed was their intended destination roughly five minutes past the outskirts of Tokyo. Beyond Tokyo, there was a lot of undeveloped country side with beautiful, tall trees and healthy grass. Kagome remembered coming to the public park that was contained on the northern end as a child, but she hadn't been there in years. And this wasn't the park section, anyway. This was the 'wild' public section.

Inuyasha pulled in to a parking lot and walked around to the trunk, extracting an old, well-used wicker basket and a big, comfy-looking blanket. He also extracted an ice chest, which Kagome assumed held their drinks.

"Need any help with that?" She offered, knowing he'd give her a look and say something macho. Which he did.

"Keh, 'course not. C'mon, it's this way." Then he turned and began walking towards a faint path. Kagome followed obediently, mentally comparing the image of Inuyasha in Levi's to that of him in his fire-rat robes.

* * *

**They walked** for another three minutes, deep enough to be away from any and all prying eyes, which, Kagome reflected, was really a rather good thing, considering she'd finally gotten her memory back. Somehow. That was when it dawned on her. _The jewel wasn't complete. It was able to grant a wish, but not sustain it. Possibly, if it had been against someone without any spiritual or demonic powers, it might have worked. But my spiritual powers must have managed to override the jewel's ability to permanently erase my memory. That's got to be it._

Inuyasha stopped when the trees gave way to a small clearing. She could hear running water in the distance, and figured that there was a creak nearby. The clearing was a lot like some of the ones they'd slept in on their journey in Feudal Japan. With the faint rumble of eighteen-wheelers passing by on the road behind them. And airplanes flying by overhead. _What a difference five hundred years makes._

"This ok with you?" Inuyasha asked, watching her curiously. She smiled and looked over at him.

"It's perfect."

He grinned and walked into the exact center, depositing the two containers and unfolding the blanket. Once he had it ready, he sat down and patted the quilt beside him. "C'mon, Kagome, it won't bite."

Kagome returned his grin with a smile and sat down. "Well, in that case. I'm starved, what'd you bring?"

Inuyasha chuckled and mumbled something about patience, reaching over and grabbing the basket. "I brought sandwiches. Here, you like chicken, right?"

Kagome nodded and he handed her the chicken sandwich. Then he extracted what was obviously a multi-meat sandwich for himself and a bag of potato chips. After that, he leaned forward again and slid over the ice-chest, popping open the lid and digging through the ice.

"I've got soda, juice, and water. Take your pick."

"Water, please." Kagome responded. He nodded, extracted two water bottles, and closed the lid. Then he handed one to her and opened his own, taking a large swallow.

* * *

**They ate **their lunch and, between them, half the bag of potato chips before Kagome finally decided to take the bull by the horns, so to speak. _I can't avoid it forever, after all._ With a deep sigh, she put down her water and turned to face him. He was in the process of procuring another water bottle for himself.

"Inuyasha?"

"Yeah? You want another one?"

Shaking her head, she gave him a soft smile. "Not right now. I…I need to talk to you about something."

Inuyasha took a long swallow of water and looked over at her as he set the bottle down. "Ok, shoot. What's up?"

She forced herself to meet his faux-violet gaze and felt the tears welling up all over again. He shifted slightly, and she knew it was probably an unconscious reaction to the tears he could undoubtedly smell. "I'm sorry, Inuyasha."

He was quiet a moment, telling himself that it wasn't what it sounded like, and not to overreact. Finally, he said, "Sorry for what?"

She gave him a sad smile, and the first tear fell. He sat up, but refrained from reaching out to wipe it away. She ignored it, and the one that fell after it. "It wasn't my fault, not directly, but I'm so sorry…if I'd known he would…that he _**could**_ do that…I would've been so much more careful." She paused to take another deep breath, and Inuyasha was wondering who the Hell 'he' was, and if he'd have to beat the crap out of him.

Kagome continued. "Inuyasha…there's no delicate way to say this, so please, forgive me, but you have to know…"

Inuyasha had time to think she was going to say she'd met someone else and fallen for him instead before her next words connected with his brain.

"…I remember."

Inuyasha blinked at her. "Wh-uh? What? What do you remember?" _Could she-?_

Her smile returned, and more tears fell silently down her cheeks. "Everything. You. Sango. Miroku. Shippo. Naraku. What happened to me. I remember it all."

Inuyasha hesitated for a moment, not sure he'd heard her right. Then he realized he had, and suddenly she was in his arms, pressed against him as he buried his nose in her hair and inhaled deeply.

Kagome wrapped her arms around him in return, crying silent tears and grateful for her returned memories. "I'm sorry, Inuyasha." She mumbled against his chest, knowing he'd hear her.

Inuyasha's voice came out more like a growl than an actual voice. "Don't apologize. It ain't your fault. It was probably Naraku; it's always Naraku."

Kagome pulled back slightly, her eyes searching his. "You don't know what happened?"

"Keh, if I'd known, wench, I could've fixed it."

Kagome shook her head. "No, I don't think you could've. Naraku used his piece of the Sacred Jewel to erase my memory. Mine and everyone else's who remembered you or might have helped me remember you. And to seal the well."

"_**He used the jewel?!"**_ Inuyasha growled incredulously.

"Yes. I heard him make the wish. The jewel wasn't whole, but apparently it didn't need to be. I think, if it had been…if it had been, I don't think I'd have ever gotten my memories back."

"Damn it all to Hell! I wish he were alive right now, just so I could slaughter him all over again!"

"Yeah, me, too…" she said softly, her eyes downcast. She felt Inuyasha's muscles relax somewhat beneath her palms and only vaguely had time to wonder why before his fingers were tilting her head back up. She looked up at him curiously, and saw a serious expression in his eyes.

"Kagome, I have to ask…where does this leave us?" The hesitation, and underlying fear in his voice (which he'd deny to his death) almost made her heart break. But she gave a half-smile anyway. Then she reached out with both hands and unsnapped his expensive watch, letting it fall to the ground as she looked back up, and into those golden eyes that she loved so much. They wore the same expression as the violet ones he pretended to have every day.

"What do you mean, 'where does this leave us'? You think I'd break up with you simply because I remembered who you really are?"

"Kagome, damnit, I-"

"I love you, Inuyasha. I told you that a long time ago, in Kaguya's castle. And that hasn't changed."

He released the breath he'd been holding, and flashed her a grin, one fang sticking out, before finally indulging. Releasing her chin, he looped that hand around to support the back of her head and covered her lips with his own. She responded instantly, looping her own arms around his neck and kissing him back.

Inuyasha finally allowed himself to deepen the kiss, his tongue slipping past her lips and exploring her mouth even as her own tongue traced his fangs lightly. He growled possessively against her lips as he pulled her impossibly closer against him. They broke apart a minute later, and his lips began trailing hot kisses down her neck and around to the other side. Between kisses, he spoke. "Is now…a bad time…to tell you that…I've been…in love with you…for over five-hundred and three years?"

Kagome moaned softly as his fangs lightly grazed the sensitive skin at the base of her neck. "I would've…rather you told me…back then, but…now is good…." Inuyasha lightly nipped at her ear lobe, and she gasped, "Now is definitely good."

Knowing he was about two seconds away from losing all rational thought, Inuyasha forced his mouth away from her neck and locked his golden eyes onto her brown ones. "Kagome, I need to ask you something…"

"What?" She asked, smiling at him and leaning her head on his shoulder comfortably.

"I guess it's kinda two-fold, really. What do you know about demons and their mates?"

"Enough, I think. Sango told me about it once, after one of Kouga's visits." She paused, and leaned back up, meeting his gaze. "Why?"

"Kagome, will you…will you be my mate?" He asked softly, forcing himself to keep her gaze.

Kagome's soft gasp of surprise was quickly followed by another passionate kiss, this time started by her. When they broke apart, she murmured, "Yes," before kissing him again. He growled his reply against her throat as he licked, sucked, and nipped before repeating the process on another spot.

A moment, later he slipped his clawed hand under her t-shirt and lifted it over her head, forcing himself not to simply shred it. Her bra, however, was not so fortunate. Kagome gave a half-hearted squeal when she heard the tearing of her bra and saw a piece of it land beside her on the ground. She opened her mouth to complain about his methods when his mouth descended upon one of her anxious nipples. The only sound that managed to come out of her was a gasp, which quickly turned into another moan as she ran her fingers through his hair. That was when they found his ears. Reflexively, she began scratching them. This time, Inuyasha didn't object.

Kagome forced her hands to continue to wander a few moments later, and soon she found herself tracing the muscles on his abdomen, beneath the t-shirt he was wearing. Frowning briefly, she grabbed the material and tugged upwards, though from her position, it wasn't so simple. Inuyasha looked up at her, then smirked and hooked his arms behind her, flipping them over so that she was on her back, and he was straddling her. Then he gently untangled her fingers from his shirt and yanked the offending garment away, tossing it somewhere in the vicinity of her own shirt. As he leaned down to kiss her once more, he detoured and placed his mouth beside her ear.

"Kagome," he whispered huskily, "Don't misunderstand me on this, but you need to be sure, 'cause this ain't exactly reversible."

"Of course I'm sure. I decided a long time ago to spend the rest of my life with you; I just never imagined I'd be lucky enough to be the woman you decided to spend the rest of yours with."

"Yeah? Well, if you're so sure, then I won't worry. Which is good, 'cause if you were really having second thoughts, well, that would be uncomfortable."

Kagome laughed softly and hauled him back up to her face by his ears. "Are you going to kiss me now, or what?"

"That depends, what're my 'what' options?" He asked with a grin that would've made Miroku proud.

Kagome rolled her eyes and leaned up, kissing him instead. He gave in and returned the kiss equally, his hands roaming over her body and hooking in the waistband of her skirt. As he began to tug both the skirt and her underwear down, Kagome broke free of his mouth long enough to manage, "Don't shred them!"

"Keh," he replied, reclaiming her lips eagerly. He obeyed her order, however, and removed the last of her clothing without shredding it. Though he really wanted to. Then he felt her hands fumbling at his waistband and placed one clawed hand gently over hers, removing them from his jeans long enough for him to remove them. Then he began trailing kisses down her neck, over her chest, and down her stomach.

* * *

**Inuyasha licked** absently at the mate mark on Kagome's neck as he woke up later that night. He didn't know, or care, what time it was. All that mattered was that she was his. Officially, and for the rest of his -their- almost immortal lives. Growling softly, he tightened his grasp on her waist and drew her closer, nuzzling her neck.

The slight, comforting, motion roused Kagome from her rather provocative dream…which was when she discovered that it hadn't been a dream at all. She didn't open her eyes until she felt Inuyasha stir beside her, and when she did, the first thing she saw were his beautiful golden eyes. He grinned down at her, and she smiled back. "Hey," she whispered softly, not wanting to disturb the stillness around them.

"Yo," he replied before leaning down and kissing her slowly. When he broke the kiss, she leaned her head against his shoulder to catch her breath. That was when she realized that it was dark outside.

Sitting up a bit, and slightly startling Inuyasha, she asked, "What time is it?"

He gave a half-shrug. "Dunno. Prob'ly almost midnight. Why?"

She paled and let her head thump against his shoulder again. "Midnight? I'm so busted. I don't think my family remembers anything…not yet. I was going to see if I could somehow break the barrier around their memories, but I hadn't actually done it yet…"

"Your family?" He paused, and then his brain kicked back in and he muttered a few choice words. "Crap, I'd better get you home, then. This should be interesting."

"Yeah…"

* * *

**Inuyasha got** them back to the shrine roughly twenty minutes later. He walked around to her side of the Mustang and opened the door again, and she smiled at him. Together they walked to the house, both dreading what was undoubtedly going to happen when they got there.

Mrs. Higurashi was waiting in the living room, her book beside her. She stood when they entered and clasped her hands in front of her. "Welcome back," she said pointedly. Kagome cringed and Inuyasha took a deep breath. "Please, will you both sit down? I'd like to discuss something with you."

"Um, Mom, there's…there's something I want to talk to you about, too."

"Well, why don't you go first, then, Kagome." Mrs. Higurashi said as they all took their seats. Kagome looked briefly over at Inuyasha, who met her gaze solidly, and then back to her mother.

"Mom, I…uh…that is, you don't…" Kagome sighed, frustrated with herself for not being able to find the right words, and stood up. Inuyasha instantly recognized the determination in both her scent and her stance, but remained seated. Kagome walked over and sat beside her mother, who raised an eyebrow in confusion. Kagome held her hands out to her mother, saying, "Hold my hands, Momma. And pray."

"Pray?" Mrs. Higurashi repeated in confusion as she took her daughter's hands and clasped them tightly. Kagome nodded.

"About anything you like, just pray." Mrs. Higurashi seemed hesitant, but finally surrendered and they both let their eyes drift shut.

It was then that the hair on the back of Inuyasha's neck stood up and he knew the room was filling rapidly with Kagome's spiritual power. And a moment later, Mrs. Higurashi's eyes flew open and Kagome released her hands, meeting her mother's gaze. "Do you remember, Momma?"

Mrs. Higurashi nodded, and she looked over at Inuyasha with tears of sympathy in her eyes. "I'm so very sorry, Inuyasha. That must've been horrible for you."

Inuyasha shrugged it off, like usual. "Keh, doesn't matter now."

"Mom, will you wake Gramps and Souta, please?"

"Of course, dear." Mrs. Higurashi said, getting up and heading towards the stairs. Kagome looked over at Inuyasha and smiled at him.

"One down, two to go."

Inuyasha nodded, and then decided to ask the question that he'd been biting his tongue on for the past few seconds. "Where'd you learn that trick? What made you think it'd work?"

Kagome looked away briefly on reflex, before telling herself that it was pointless and returning her gaze to his. "I wasn't sure it'd work, I just figured it was our best bet." She paused before answering the next part of his question. "I…learned it from Kikyo. When we were trapped in that demon cave that devoured priestesses."

Inuyasha nodded, accepting her answer. Then he stood up and crossed the room, sitting down beside her and wrapping his arms around her. Nuzzling the back of her neck and relishing her scent, he whispered, "I love you, Kagome. And there is nothing that is ever going to change that. Nothing."

Kagome leaned into him, tilting her head so that she could sort of see his face. Kissing his cheek lightly, she replied, "I know. But I love when you say it out loud like that."

"Keh, typical woman," he replied teasingly before shifting her just enough to capture her mouth with his. Everything would be ok. Naraku had failed to kill him after all; and he was finally with the only woman he'd ever need.

**THE END**

_**A/N:**_ It's over! I hope you liked it! Please let me know! And if you think the ending sucks, just try to say it nicely, ok? Anyway, thanks for reading my story!


End file.
